Most of the unintended pregnancies are due to contraceptive failure, largely owing to inconsistent or incorrect use. With so many methods available and so many factors to consider, choosing the most effective birth control option can be difficult. A new study was designed to see the effectiveness of contraception that revealed superiority of long acting reversible contraception that will help women choose an efficient one.
The study appeared in The New England Journal of Medicine showed that intrauterine devices (IUDs), under-the-skin implants and Depo-Provera injections — the long-acting reversible contraceptives — are much more effective in preventing pregnancy than the transdermal patch (contraceptive drug patch placed in skin), the vaginal ring or the birth control pill.
Failure rates for pills, patches and rings were more than 9% by the end of the study, compared with less than 1% for the long-acting reversible methods.
There was no difference by age in unintended pregnancies among women using long-acting contraceptives, but young women who used the pill, patch or ring were much more likely to have an unintended pregnancy than older women using those methods. However, IUDs and others long-acting reversible contraceptives are less popular and less prescribed options in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2011 showed that pills are mostly used contraceptive among women aged 15-49 which is 27.2% while IUDs are least used contraceptives that is only 0.7%. In 1993-1994, about 2.2% women used IUD and since then it has been gradually decreasing and most of these are being practiced in government settings only. Although long-acting injectable contraceptive use has increased up to 11.2%, it is still less than half than pill users.
While pills are 20 times less effective than an IUD, many professionals have been reluctant to prescribe IUDs. Furthermore, long acting methods have very minimum cost in comparison to short acting. Thus, women should not be missed out from its benefit whenever indicated. The fact is pill is preferred for some women, while for some others, IUD and other long term options might be the better choice.
Experts urged to create awareness to increase the use of long acting contraceptives to effectively handle unintended pregnancy and subsequently abortions and its complications.