Uptake of Subdermal Contraceptive Implants in Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki

Abstract

Background: Subdermal contraceptive implant is one of the major forms of long acting reversible progestogen-only contraceptives. It is very reliable and its acceptance is on the increase globally. There is a need to evaluate its use among women of reproductive age group in Abakaliki. Aim: To review the uptake and discontinuation of Subdermal contraceptive implants-Jadelle and Implanon at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki. Materials and Methods: This was a 3-year retrospective study undertaken between 1st January 2013 to 31st December, 2015 which involved 516 study participants. Client characteristics, the reason for implant uptake and reason for discontinuation of contraceptive implants were collected using a specially designed proforma. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 22. Result: The implant acceptance rate over the study period was 50.2%, and it represents the highest contraceptive uptake in the facility. The mean age of the clients was 31.87±4.94 years, while the mean parity was 4.75±2.33. Majority (326/516) 63.2% had Jadelle while the remaining 190 clients (36.8%) had Implanon inserted. Most of the clients were aged between 20 and 34 years, and were multiparous. Majority (61.7%) of the clients got the information from health care personnel, while the media was the least source of contraceptive information. The discontinuation rate for implants in the facility was 20.2%, (16.1% for Jadelle and 4.1% for Implanon). There was no pregnancy recorded among the client during the study period. The commonest reasons given for discontinuation of the contraceptive method was the desire for more pregnancies. Conclusion: Contraceptive implants are the commonest form of contraceptive uptake in our facility. The pearl index was 0% with a high discontinuation rate.