Bahamondes L, et al. - A chart review of 776 women in Brazil is done to evaluate the contraceptive performance of the 52-mg 20 μg/day levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS, Mirena, Bayer Oy, Turku, Finland) among women who maintain the same device without changes after 5 years. The 52-mg 20 μg/day LNG-IUD (Mirena®) demonstrated continue contraceptive effectiveness beyond 5 years of utilization with no pregnancies detected over 967 and 1485 W-Y up to seven and 15 years after placement.

Methods

• For this research, they conducted a chart review study.
• They evaluated the charts of 766 women who continue the same LNG-IUS for contraception beyond 5 years.
• From November 1990 to March 2011, they assessed women at the Family Planning clinic, University of Campinas Medical School, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
• In this study, they obtained sociodemographic information, a span of utilization, continuation and discontinuation rates and reasons, bleeding pattern at the recorded last visit.
• They used Kaplan-Meier analysis to perform the statistical analysis.

Results

• They identified total 776 charts of women who used the LNG-IUS beyond 5 years.
• In this study, the mean age (± SEM) at LNG-IUS placement was 32.0±0.2 years (ranged 15 to 44 years; median was 32 years).
• The distribution of number of pregnancies was 0-1 (45%); 2-4 (54.1%) and ≥ 5 (0.9%).
• The median length of the LNG-IUS' use was 73 months after placement (ranged 61-184 months).
• Zero pregnancies were reported and the main reasons for discontinuation were expiration of approved effective lifespan, menopause and planning pregnancy.
• The cumulative women-years (W-Y) of exposure were 967 and 1485 up to seven and 15 years, respectively.
• Amenorrhea was the main bleeding pattern reported by the women.