Immediate postpartum etonogestrel implant: a contraception option with long-term continuation

To determine 3-year continuation rates of the etonogestrel contraceptive implant when inserted immediately postpartum and to identify factors associated with discontinuation.

A retrospective cohort of 262 women who had the contraceptive implant inserted immediately postpartum between January 2008 and March 2009 was collected from electronic medical records. Continuation rates at 1, 2 and 3 years were estimated. Adverse effects leading to removal of the implant were recorded. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were performed to determine factors associated with early discontinuation.

Large subsets of the study patients were adolescent (28.2%) and multigravid (71.8%) and presented for fewer than six prenatal visits (38.5%). Follow-up rates were over 70% at each of the 3 years. Adolescents and women with fewer than six prenatal visits had the highest continuation rates at 1 year, 94.5% and 94.1%, respectively. The cumulative implant continuation rate after 3 years was 66.3%. Multivariable analysis indicated that having six or more prenatal care visits was the only independent predictor of early discontinuation, with a hazard ratio of 3.1 (p=0.04) and 1.8 (p=<0.01) at 1 and 3 years, respectively. The most commonly reported reasons for early removal were abnormal bleeding (41.2%) and weight gain (19.1%).

The contraceptive implant has high continuation over its 3-year lifespan when inserted immediately postpartum. Continuation rates were highest among populations most vulnerable to rapid repeat and unintended pregnancies.

The etonogestrel implant, when placed immediately postpartum for contraception, can have high continuation rates of use for up to 3 years duration.