Clinical evaluation of the TCu 380A IUD at six Latin American centers.

Compared with other contraceptive methods such as sterilization and oral contraceptives, the prevalence of IUD use in Latin American countries is relatively low. This study evaluated the clinical performance of the TCu 380A IUD in six Latin American clinics to determine whether its performance was a determining factor in its low prevalence, and to provide efficacy and safety data based on local data sets to Latin American service providers. The 12-month unintended pregnancy rate ranged from 0.0 to 1.7 per 100 women and the 12-month discontinuation rates for all reasons, from 3.3 to 21.0 per 100 women. Statistically significant differences in discontinuation rates were observed among clinics, and could be explained, in part, by the different sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of women attending the clinics. The overall performance and acceptability of the TCu 380A IUD was considered satisfactory and comparable to those reported from other countries. Thus, the low prevalence of IUD use in Latin America is probably related to barriers to its use rather than its clinical performance.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes