[Comparative study of norplant-2 and levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine devices]

Norplant-2 and Levonorgestrel-releasing IUD were studied in a randomized comparative trial for one year. Each group consisted of 100 healthy women among whom contraceptive efficacy and acceptability were studied. Only one woman with the LNG-IUD got pregnancy during the 12 months of use. Expulsion rate was 3.0 in the LNG-IUD. Removal rate for menstrual problems was 3.0 for both groups. The use-related discontinuation were 4.0 and 10.0 respectively. Irregular bleeding was the major side-effect with the two devices. Menstrual blood loss (MBL) and haemoglobin concentration were measured in thirty women at pre- and post-insertion periods. After the 1st, 6th, 12th month of use in Norplant-2 group, the mean MBL were all less than that of pre-insertion, but the differences were not significant. Among LNG-IUD users, the MBL decreased significantly after one year of use. Haemogloblin concentrations were slightly increased in both groups.