Supported by
A New Option for Morning-After Contraception?
An hormonal IUD may work as well as morning-after pills for preventing pregnancy, a new study suggests.
Only two forms of “morning-after” contraception are approved by the Food and Drug Administration, both hormonal drugs taken orally as pills: levonorgestrel (Plan B One-Step and other brands, available over the counter) and ulipristal acetate (Ella, available by prescription). Observational studies strongly suggest that a nonhormonal copper intrauterine device (ParaGard) may also be effective.
Now researchers have found that another type of IUD, one containing the hormone levonorgestrel (Liletta and other brands) works as well as the copper IUD, and perhaps even better than the F.D.A.-approved oral pills for preventing pregnancy.
The study, in the New England Journal of Medicine, tested the copper IUD against intrauterine levonorgestrel in a randomized trial. Researchers recruited 638 women seeking emergency contraception at three Utah family planning clinics, randomly assigning them to one device or the other.
After one month, there were no pregnancies among women who used the copper IUD, and one among those who used the hormonal IUD. The researchers calculate that the incidence of pregnancy with intrauterine levonorgestrel is 0.3 percent, compared with 1.4 to 2.6 percent with oral contraceptives.
Neither of the intrauterine devices is now approved for emergency contraception, but the lead author of the study, Dr. David K. Turok, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Utah, expects professional guidelines to include them soon.
“The main thing is that this is another option that may be highly attractive,” he said. “Now we have a well-designed and executed study that shows it can be used.”
Pregnancy, Childbirth and Postpartum Experiences
Teen Pregnancies: A large study in Canada found that women who were pregnant as teenagers were more likely to die before turning 31.
Weight-Loss Drugs: Doctors say they are seeing more women try weight-loss medications in the hopes of having a healthy pregnancy. But little is known about the impact of those drugs on a fetus.
Premature Births: After years of steady decline, premature births rose sharply in the United States between 2014 and 2022. Experts said the shift might be partly the result of a growing prevalence of health complications among mothers.
Depression and Suicide: Women who experience depression during pregnancy or in the year after giving birth have a greater risk of suicide and attempted suicide.
A Long Awaited Breakthrough: Scientists said they had pinpointed the cause of severe morning sickness — a discovery could lead to better treatments for severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.
Cutting Babies’ Tongues: Dentists and lactation consultants are pushing “tongue-tie releases” on new mothers struggling to breastfeed. Here’s what to know.
Advertisement