Who uses Norplant. A study from Finland

Although Norplant implantable contraceptives were introduced first in Finland, their use has been infrequent. The objective of this study was to investigate what kind of women use Norplant in Finland, who suggested its use, and from what source women get their information on Norplant.

A questionnaire was mailed to all women having had Norplant inserted one to two years before the study initiation (June 1992) in seven family-planning clinics in the Helsinki city area (n = 262). After one reminder, the response rate was 82%.

Most of the users were 25-34 years old, and many of them had had a previous abortion. Half of the women were still considering a (subsequent) child. All the women had used some birth control method before Norplant and reported several problems with it. Women reported that they themselves had chosen Norplant, but physicians and nursing staff in the family-planning clinic were their most important information sources. Most women considered that they had received sufficient information before insertion regarding both the good and bad aspects of the method.

Women with previous abortions are a special users' group for Norplant, even though most users are in no way exceptional women.