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Progesterone vaginal ring for contraceptive use during lactation.
Anita Nath1, Regine Sitruk-Ware
1Population Council, New York, NY 10065, USA.
Contraception
|October 12, 2010
Summary
The progesterone vaginal ring (PVR) is an effective contraceptive for breastfeeding women, offering similar efficacy to IUDs while prolonging lactational amenorrhea. This user-controlled, natural hormone method shows high acceptability and safety.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Contraception
- Lactation Management
Background:
- Breastfeeding women require effective contraception for pregnancy spacing.
- Existing methods like IUDs have limitations during lactation.
- The progesterone vaginal ring (PVR) offers a novel contraceptive option.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and acceptability of the PVR in breastfeeding women.
- To compare PVR use with IUDs regarding contraceptive performance and lactational amenorrhea.
- To document the safety profile of the PVR during lactation.
Main Methods:
- Clinical trials of 1-year duration assessed PVR efficacy.
- Comparison of PVR users with IUD users.
- Data collection on lactational amenorrhea, bleeding/spotting, breastfeeding frequency, and infant growth.
Main Results:
- PVR demonstrated contraceptive efficacy similar to IUDs during lactation.
- PVR use significantly prolonged lactational amenorrhea compared to IUDs.
- PVR users experienced fewer bleeding/spotting episodes and days.
- High acceptability was reported due to comfort, ease of use, and user control.
- No differences observed in breastfeeding frequency, milk volume, or infant growth.
Conclusions:
- The PVR is a safe and effective contraceptive for breastfeeding women.
- It offers advantages over IUDs by prolonging lactational amenorrhea and reducing bleeding.
- Further research on PVR acceptability in diverse populations is recommended.
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