Use of copper intrauterine devices in the immediate postpartum period: a prospective longitudinal study.
Christiane Borges do Nascimento Chofakian, Giovana Nonato, Raphaela Romão Teixeira de Souza and 3 others
PMID 42339929WHAT IT FOUND
Most women were satisfied with immediate postpartum copper IUD insertion, but 61.2% would have preferred another method. 42.4% had not been told about side effects.
At six months, 62.5% of responders still used the IUD.
Key findings
01During hospitalization, 42.4% of women were not informed about possible IUD side effects, and 52.9% were not guided about other postpartum contraceptive methods.
02At insertion, 85.3% reported satisfaction, but 61.2% said they would have preferred a different method, with tubal ligation most cited.
03At six months, 62.5% of 32 responders were still using the IUD, and three had experienced expulsion.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was done at one public maternity hospital, and the sample was non-probabilistic, so the results may not apply to other settings or women. The number of insertions fell during the COVID-19 pandemic because of supply shortages and fewer trained professionals, which may have limited who could receive an IUD. At six months, only 32 women completed the follow-up, a 72% loss, so continuation and satisfaction estimates are based on few responders. Some women who stopped using the IUD may have been lost to follow-up, which could overestimate continuation. The analysis was descriptive, so it does not show whether information gaps, pain, or companion involvement caused different outcomes.
Declared interests
Funded by the Research Provost's Office of the University of São Paulo (Grant number 18.1.2338.86.5) and supported by CAPES (Funding Code 001). The supplied text does not include a separate conflict-of-interest statement.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read 85.3% satisfaction or 62.5% continuation as proof that immediate postpartum IUD insertion was well accepted or that the six-month results apply broadly. Most women said they would have preferred another method, many were not fully informed, and the six-month estimates came from only 32 responders after 72% loss to follow-up.