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Evidence summaries

Timing of Copper Intrauterine Device Insertion after Medical Abortion

Insertion of an IUD immediately after abortion appears safe and practical compered with a delayed insertion. At six months postabortion, IUD use appears higher and pregnancy rates lower following immediate insertion compared to delayed insertion. However, expulsion rate may be a little higher with insertion at same day compared with insertion after 1 or 2-4 weeks. Level of evidence: "B"

Summary

A trial 1 included a total of 156 subjects undergoing medical abortion with mifepristone and misoprostol and choosing the copper IUD for contraception. Women were randomly assigned to "immediate" insertion 1 week after mifepristone or "delayed" insertion 4-6 weeks later. An IUD was inserted in 97% of participants in the immediate group and 76% in the delayed group. At 6 months, 69% of participants in the immediate group used the IUD compared with 60% in the delayed group. Expulsion rates were comparable; 12% (8/69) in the immediate group compared with 11% (7/65) in the delayed group. Removals occurred in 14% (10/69) of immediate and 8% (5/65) of delayed group participants. Four pregnancies occurred in delayed group participants who did not return for IUD insertion. The immediate and delayed groups reported a median of 20 and 19 bleeding or spotting days, respectively. No cases of serious infection, uterine perforation, or hemorrhage were detected.

In another trial 2, total of 129 women undergoing medical abortion with mifepristone and misoprostol up to 63 days gestation and opting for IUD were randomised to early insertion (day 5-9 after mifepristone) or delayed (routine) insertion (at 3-4 weeks after mifepristone). 116 women had a successful IUD insertion. There was no difference in expulsion rate between early (9.7%) vs. delayed (7.4%) insertion (risk difference -9.2 to13.4). Furthermore, 1.5% of women randomized to early and 11.5% to delayed insertion did not attend the follow up (proportion difference 10.0%, 95% CI 1.8 to 20.6%), and a higher proportion of women (41%) had had unprotected intercourse prior to returning for insertion in the delayed group compared with the early group (16%) (p=0.015). Adverse events were rare and did not differ between the groups.

In a pilot trial 3 108 women were randomized at HASH(0x2f830d0)63 days' gestation to fast-track (n=55) or delayed (n=53) insertion of levonorgestrel 52-mg intrauterine system (LNG-IUS). Follow-up data at 3 months and 1 year for 41 (74.5%) and 37 (69.8%) women in the fast-track group and 31 (56.4%) and 28 (52.8%) women in the delayed group. By 3 months, expulsion occurred in 6 (12.5%) women after fast-track and 1 (2.3%) woman after delayed insertion (RR 5.50, 95% CI 0.69 to 43.90); most (n=5) of these were partial expulsions in the fast-track group. By 1 year, expulsion had occurred in 7 (14.6%) and 5 (11.5%) women in the fast-track and delayed groups, respectively (RR 1.28, 95% CI 0.44 to 3.75). We found no differences in rates of vacuum aspiration, residual tissue, infection and bleeding or bleeding patterns within 3 months of insertion.

A randomized trial 4 following the above pilot LNG-IUS insertion occurred immediately (same day) or 2-4 weeks following medical abortion. In the the group of gestational age 64-84 days (n=102), the expulsion rates by 3 months were 14 (27.5%) in the immediate-insertion group and 2 (4.0%) in the delayed-insertion group (RR 6.86; 95% CI 1.64 to 28.66). By 1 year the expulsion rates were 17 (33.3%) and 6 (12.0%) (RR 2.78, 95% CI 1.19 to 6.47). Following second-trimester abortion (gestational age 85-140 days, n=57) LNG-IUS expulsion rates by 3 months and 1 year were 5 (18.5%) in the immediate-insertion group and 1 (3.6%) in the delayed-insertion group (RR 5.19, 95% CI 0.65 to 41.54). No differences in adverse effects and bleeding profiles emerged between the groups.

In an open-label, randomized, controlled, multicenter, superiority trial 6 women (n=240) had an intrauterine device inserted within 48 hours of complete medical abortion (intervention group) or at 2 to 4 weeks after abortion (control group). In the intervention group, 82% participants used an intrauterine device at 6 months after the abortion vs 77.7% in the control group, with a difference in proportion of 4.3% (nonsignificant). Attendance rate and rate of successful insertion were similar between the groups. There was a trend towards lower pain scores at immediate insertion. Patients preferred their insertion time significantly more often in the intervention group (74.8%) than in the control group (61.4%). No difference was found in intrauterine device expulsion rates between the groups. There were no perforations or infections requiring antibiotic treatment.

A Cochrane review [Abstract] 5 included 12 studies with a total of 7 119 participants. Five studies examined immediate or delayed insertion of intrauterine devices (IUDs). The expulsion rate of IUD (levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system or CuT380A) was more likely for immediate compared to delayed insertion. On the other hand, with immediate compared to delayed insertion also use was more likely and pregnancy less likely. Immediate insertion of Copper 7 was associated with a higher risk of expulsion than was delayed insertion T1. Another trial randomized to the levonorgestrel IUD or Nova T; discontinuation rates due to pregnancy were likely to be higher for women in the Nova T group (MD 8.70, 95% CI 3.92 to 13.48;1 study; n=438; moderate quality evidence). There was no difference in upper genital tract infections between immediate or delayed insertion of IUD

Table 1. Immediate versus delayed insertion (LNG-IUS or CuT380A IUD)

OutcomeRelative effect(95% CI)Assumed risk - ControlCorresponding risk - Intervention=Immediate versus delayed insertion of IUD (95% CI)Number of participants (studies)
Expulsion by 6 monthsRR 2.9 (1.25 to 6.71)15 / 100043 / 1000(19 to 100)878(3)
Use at 6 monthsRR 1.4 (1.24 to 1.58)464 / 1000650 / 1000(575 to 733)878(3)
Pregnancy at six monthsRR 0.37 (0.12 to 1.14)23 / 10009 / 1000(3 to 27)878(3)

Date of latest search: 2024-01-23

References

  • Shimoni N, Davis A, Ramos ME et al. Timing of copper intrauterine device insertion after medical abortion: a randomized controlled trial. Obstet Gynecol 2011;118(3):623-8. [PubMed]
  • Sääv I, Stephansson O, Gemzell-Danielsson K. Early versus delayed insertion of intrauterine contraception after medical abortion - a randomized controlled trial. PLoS One 2012;7(11):e48948. [PubMed]
  • Korjamo R, Mentula M, Heikinheimo O. Fast-track vs. delayed insertion of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system after early medical abortion - a randomized trial. Contraception 2017;96(5):344-351. [PubMed]
  • Korjamo R, Mentula M, Heikinheimo O. Expulsions and adverse events following immediate and later insertion of a levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system after medical termination of late first- and second-trimester pregnancy: a randomised controlled trial. BJOG 2017;124(13):1965-1972. [PubMed]
  • Okusanya BO, Oduwole O, Effa EE. Immediate postabortal insertion of intrauterine devices. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2014;2014(7):CD001777 [PubMed]
  • Hogmark S, Liljeblad KL, Envall N, et al. Placement of an intrauterine device within 48 hours after early medical abortion-a randomized controlled trial. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2023;228(1):53.e1-53.e9 [PubMed]

Primary/Secondary Keywords