Post-abortion initiation of LARC reduces subsequent abortion rates within two years. The prevalence of post-abortion LARC use in New Zealand is unknown.
Researchers did this study to describe post-abortion initiation of intrauterine and implantable LARC methods and determine the impact the introduction of government-funded LNG implants had on overall LARC use. The present study was a retrospective observational study involving New Zealand abortion clinic data.
Researchers obtained nationally collated data on post-abortion LARC insertions. Logistic regression analyses examined whether LARC uses differed by parity and age over time.
Post-abortion LARC use increased from 20.2% in 2007 to 45.6% in 2012. Intrauterine device use increased from 20.2% to 31.8% during this period, with implants contributing a further 14% to the overall use of LARC methods by 2012. Clinical data showed that LARC increases among most demographic subgroups, with the greatest increase among nulliparous under-20-year-olds.
The study concluded that post-abortion LARC use has been steadily increasing in New Zealand since 2007. Overall, LARC use increased dramatically following government-funded implants’ introduction, particularly among young and nulliparous women. Improving access to alternative methods of LARC may further increase uptake and reduce unwanted pregnancy rates.
Reference: https://srh.bmj.com/content/41/3/197
