Abstract
Data from the Fertility and Contraception Survey undertaken in the Jilin Province in 1988 were used to examine both the rates of side effects and discontinuation among women using intrauterine devices (IUDs). The results show that among the 1, 912 first time IUD users, the combined side effects rate comprising excessive bleeding, irregular menstruation, or abdominal pain was 11.7 percent; 0.2 percent of first time IUD users became seriously ill due to faulty insertion techniques. The gross cumulative failure rates at the end of the first, second and third year following insertion were 5.3%, 9.2% and 11.9%, respectively. Total gross cumulative discontinuation rates for these three time periods were 9.9%, 19.3%, and 28.3%, respectively. It was also found that selected social and service factors such as nationality, farm/non-farm residency, medical institution where the insertion was provided, interval between the date of last pregnancy and the date of the insertion, and the number of children at the time of insertion were associated with IUD-related side effects and/or discontinuation. The Findings are further discussed with respect to governmental intervention in regulating family size, in terms of the reliability of the self-reported data, and other IUD related effects.
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