The study aimed to compare six-month expulsion rates of the copper-bearing IUD inserted after delivery of the placenta or at the six-week postpartum visit in women undergoing cesarean section.
Participants were randomized to either post-placental IUD insertion or IUD insertion at the 6-week postpartum visit. Participants were followed for 12 months. Primary outcomes were IUD expulsion and the proportion of women using an IUD at six months. A secondary result was the cumulative pregnancy rate at 12 months.
Five hundred participants were enrolled in each group. At six months, the total expulsions were 58/416 in the post-placental group and 4/214 in the puerperal group; IUD use was 416/478 post-placental group and 214/232 in the puerperal group. Data collected by phone at 12 months showed a higher cumulative pregnancy rate in the puerperal and post-placental groups. IUD continuation at 12 months was higher in the post-placental group.
The study concluded that participants in the post-placental group had a higher expulsion rate at six months. More IUDs were still placed in this group, and fewer pregnancies had occurred at 12 months compared with the puerperal group.
Reference: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13625187.2020.1823366
