Health effects of long-term use of the intrauterine levonorgestrel-releasing system. A follow-up study over 12 years of continuous use.

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Levonorgestrel in this randomized controlled trial publication.

These 82 women were examined yearly throughout the study period and bleeding pattern, hemoglobin, weight, blood-pressure, general well-being and intercurrent disease were analyzed to assess long-term effects.

Why It Was Studied

This report comprises women from one center, who all participated in a larger European multi-center study, which included 2758 healthy women, of whom 1821 were randomly allocated to the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (Lng-IUS) and 937 to a copper-IUD (Nova-T).

The women were offered the opportunity to continue the Lng-IUS and 100 women chose to do so.

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 2758 women taking part.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were adults, women only.

At the end of the 5 year study period, 109 of the 300 women, who originally were allocated to the Lng-IUS at this center, were still using the Lng-IUS.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized study.

The women were allocated by chance, so the Levonorgestrel group and the comparison group should start out alike.

What Was Measured

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Contraceptive Agents, Female, Drug Monitoring, Estrogen Replacement Therapy, Intrauterine Devices, Copper, Intrauterine Devices, Medicated, Levonorgestrel and Menstruation Disturbances.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized study of Levonorgestrel in 2758 women.

With several hundred people or more, it is a fairly large study for this kind of research.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 8 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 1999 (Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica), a journal based in United States.

More context: all human trials.