Immediate postabortion access to IUDs, implants and DMPA reduces repeat pregnancy within 1 year in a New York City practice.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to evaluate whether having intrauterine devices (IUDs), contraceptive implants and injections immediately available to women undergoing abortion, compared to requiring an additional visit for these methods, leads to fewer pregnancies and fewer abortions in the following 12 months. METHODS: We conducted a historical cohort study using health records of Medicaid-insured women obtaining a first-trimester surgical abortion within a single practice in New York City. Women in Cohort 1 (2007-2008) needed an additional visit to initiate the IUD or injection. Women in Cohort 2 (2008-2009) were able to initiate these contraceptives and implants during the abortion visit. Women in both cohorts received these methods without additional cost, and all could receive a pill, patch or ring prescription. We compared the proportions of each cohort who experienced a pregnancy that began in the 12 months following the index abortion and also evaluated the outcomes of those pregnancies. RESULTS: Cohorts 1 and 2 consisted of 407 and 405 women, respectively. The proportions with pregnancy beginning over the following 12 months were substantially greater in Cohort 1 than Cohort 2 (27.3% versus 15.3%, p<.001). Women in Cohort 1 then underwent both more additional abortions (17.2% versus 9.9%, p=.003) and more births (7.9% versus 3.7%, p=.02). The proportion of women in Cohort 1 who initiated IUDs and implants within 12 months was smaller than in Cohort 2 (11% versus 46%, p<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Among women insured by Medicaid, offering immediate comprehensive contraceptive access--including IUDs and implants--on the same day as an induced abortion, compared to requiring an additional visit, increased uptake of IUDs and implants and decreased repeat pregnancies in the next 12 months and abortions.

Structured contraceptive counseling--a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the addition of structured contraceptive counseling to usual care on choice, initiation, and continuation of very effective contraception after uterine aspiration. METHODS: We conducted a RCT of a version of the WHO Decision-Making Tool for Family Planning Clients and Providers with women having a procedure for a spontaneous or induced abortion. Our intervention provided structured, standardized counseling. We randomized women to usual care or usual care with structured counseling. Our outcomes included choosing a very effective contraceptive method and 3 months continuation. RESULTS: Fifty-four percent of all participants chose a very effective method. Women in the intervention group were no more likely to choose a very effective method (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.44, 1.26) or to initiate their method compared to the usual care group (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.31, 1.34). In multivariate models, structured counseling was not associated with using a very effective method at 3 months (AOR 1.06, 95% CI 0.53, 2.14). CONCLUSION: In this setting, structured counseling had little impact on contraceptive method choice, initiation, or continuation. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Adding structured counseling did not increase the proportion choosing or initiating very effective contraception in a practice setting where physicians already provide individualized counseling.