Twelve-month comparative multicenter study of the TCu 380A and ML 250 intrauterine devices in Bangkok, Thailand

The long-term effectiveness of the copper-bearing intrauterine device (IUD) has been documented. This paper reports 12-month results from a multiyear comparative study of the Copper T (TCu) 380A and Multiload (ML) 250 IUD in Bangkok, Thailand, among 1396 women. Continuation of the assigned IUD was relatively high after 12 months of use, with continuation rates of 90.17 and 87.54 per 100 women, respectively. Whereas the accidental pregnancy rate was higher for the ML 250 IUD than for the TCu 380A IUD (1.0 and 0.2 per 100 women, respectively), this difference was not considered statistically significant (p < 0.69). The rate of IUD expulsion was significantly higher among women using the ML 250 IUD than for women using the TCu 380A IUD (4.61 and 2.40 per 100 women, respectively, p = 0.05).