The study was conducted to follow a series of 100 women attending to fit the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG IUS). The participants were registered at a single urban general practice serving the local students’ universities and higher education colleges.
The present study was a prospective observational study. The fitter completed a questionnaire in discussion with the patient at the time of IUS fitting. Follow up was by telephone at six weeks, six months, and 9–12 months after fitting.
Ninety-seven women were nulliparous. Thirty-seven women selected the IUS as their preferred method of contraception. Twelve women chose the IUS primarily for non-contraceptive reasons. Seventy-five women still had the IUS at 12 months’ follow up with 11 lost to follow up at this point. No pregnancies or perforations were reported.
The study concluded that IUS is an acceptable form of contraception in young women, including nulliparous women, and should be offered alongside other methods as first-line without restriction when offering contraceptive options to this age group. Further studies are required to explore the intrauterine system uptake and continuation rates in a university student general practice population in the UK.
Reference: https://srh.bmj.com/content/39/3/186
