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Immediate Versus Interval Postpartum Use of the Levonorgestrel Contraceptive Implants: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Immediate Versus Interval Postpartum Use of the Levonorgestrel Contraceptive Implants: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02341027
Enrollment
205
Registered
2015-01-19
Start date
2015-01-31
Completion date
2016-06-30
Last updated
2020-02-17

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Contraceptive Implant Utilization, Lactation

Keywords

Immediate postpartum contraception, Contraceptive implants, Breastfeeding, Jadelle, Lactation, Levonorgestrel

Brief summary

This study will evaluate if immediate postpartum placement of a levonorgestrel (LNG) contraceptive implant within 5 days of delivery improves implant utilization at 6 months postpartum compared to implant placement at 6-8 weeks postpartum among women in Uganda.

Detailed description

Waiting until 6 weeks postpartum to initiate contraception puts women at risk for unintended pregnancy and short birth intervals. Short birth intervals of less than 18 months are associated with an increased risk of preterm delivery and low birth weight infants. Subdermal implants are advantageous for the postpartum period because they are long-acting, reversible, and highly effective, and they do not contain estrogen or require intrauterine placement. In observational studies postpartum continuation rates have been shown to be greater than 95% after 6 months and 86-87% after 1 year in US populations. Implants are not routinely available during the immediate postpartum period in Uganda, and availability could improve the contraceptive method mix for postpartum women in that country. The results of this study may support increasing access to a form of immediate postpartum LARC (long acting reversible contraception) in a developing country. This is a randomized, controlled trial of the association between immediate postpartum contraceptive implant placement and implant utilization at 6 months postpartum among women in Uganda. This study will compare the proportion of women using the Levonorgestrel contraceptive implant at 6 months after delivery in women randomized to insertion within 5 days of delivery (immediate insertion) or 6 weeks after delivery (delayed insertion). The study population is women who have a delivery at Mulago hospital in Kampala, Uganda and choose a contraceptive implant for postpartum contraception. The investigators plan to enroll 202 women who are planning to receive a postpartum Levonorgestrel contraceptive implant after delivery to find out whether the timing of postpartum administration of the implant (prior to hospital discharge or 6 weeks after delivery) affects implant utilization, satisfaction with the implant, vaginal bleeding or breastfeeding.

Interventions

DEVICEJadelle

within 5 days of delivery and before discharge from hospital

Sponsors

Mulago Hospital, Uganda
CollaboratorOTHER
Makerere University
CollaboratorOTHER
University of California, San Francisco
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 50 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Female * 18 - 50 years old * Voluntarily requesting contraceptive implants for postpartum contraception * Vaginal delivery or cesarean delivery at Mulago Hospital * Willing and able to give informed consent * Agree to a possible home visit for follow up * Access to a cellphone for the duration of the study

Exclusion criteria

* Current breast cancer or breast cancer within the past 5 years * Decompensated cirrhosis or a liver tumor * Unexplained vaginal bleeding prior to pregnancy * Current (or planned) use of Efavirenz medication

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
Implant utilization as measured by the proportion of women using LNG contraceptive implants at 6 months after delivery in women randomized to insertion within 5 days of delivery (immediate insertion) or 6-8 weeks after delivery (delayed insertion).6 months

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
Breastfeeding continuation rates as measured by self-report over the initial 6 months.6 months
Time to lactogenesis measured by self-reported onset of lactogenesis.72 hours
Change in percentile in infant weight, length and head circumference from delivery to 6 weeks and from delivery to 6 months.Birth to 6 months
Pregnancy6 months

Countries

Uganda

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026