Comparison of weight gain between levonorgestrel and etonogestrel implants after 12 months of insertion

Abstract

Objective To compare weight gain between women using etonogestrel implants and those using levonorgestrel implants 12 months after insertion. Methods A multicenter prospective cohort study was performed on women recruited from family planning clinics between July 2016 and August 2017. The main study outcome was mean weight gain after 12 months of insertion of the implants. Results The present study included 150 women (age range 18–45 years) using levonorgestrel implants and 167 women using etonogestrel implants. The women recruited had been using implants for less than 6 months; implants had been inserted 6–12 months after their last pregnancy. Participants were followed up until 12 months after insertion through telephone conversations. Baseline parameters were obtained from the clinic records and weight was measured within 6 weeks of the 12‐month anniversary of insertion of the implants. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 23. Weight gain in the levonorgestrel group was significantly higher than in the etonogestrel group (3.16 ± 4.08 vs 0.77 ± 3.76, P = 0.013; relative risk 1.69, 95% confidence interval 1.46–1.96). There were no differences in the occurrence of menstrual irregularities and client satisfaction. Conclusion Women using levonorgestrel implants were more likely to gain weight compared to those using etonogestrel implants after 12 months of insertion.

Safety and Benefits of Contraceptives Implants: A Systematic Review

“…In a following multicentre trial by Meirik et al [84], the quicker insertion of ENG implant than LNG subdermal dispositive was confirmed (51 vs. 88 s for ENG and LNG groups, respectively); however, at a six-week follow-up after insertion, no significant difference in terms of complication rates at the level of the insertion site was observed [84]. More recently, Okunola et al [85] reported that 12 months after insertion, in the LNG group, weight gain was significantly higher than in the ENG group (3.16 ± 4.08 vs. 0.77 ± 3.76, p = 0.013; RR 1.69, 95%CI 1.46-1.96). The weight gain in the LNG group was in the range of −5.22 to 19.03 and in the etonogestrel group was in the range of −8.29 to 11.63 [85].…”

“…More recently, Okunola et al [85] reported that 12 months after insertion, in the LNG group, weight gain was significantly higher than in the ENG group (3.16 ± 4.08 vs. 0.77 ± 3.76, p = 0.013; RR 1.69, 95%CI 1.46-1.96). The weight gain in the LNG group was in the range of −5.22 to 19.03 and in the etonogestrel group was in the range of −8.29 to 11.63 [85]. The mean weight difference in the levonorgestrel group was 3.16 (p = 0.004), while in the etonogestrel group it was 0.77 (p = 0.041); no difference in menstrual irregularities and client satisfaction was observed between groups [85].…”

“…Several studies compared Implanon to the LNG implant [52,[81][82][83][84][85]. Affandi et al [81] performed an integrated analysis of 13 different trials on 1716 Implanon users and 689 Norplant users; compared to the LNG implant, in Implanon groups, significantly fewer bleeding-spotting days (15.9-19.3 vs. 19.4-21.6; p = 0.0169), bleeding days (7.5-10.0 vs. 11.7-13.1; p < 0.001), and bleeding-spotting episodes (2.2-2.7 vs. 3.1-3.3; p < 0.0001) were observed, while no difference in discontinuation rates was detected [81].…”

Weight change among women using intramuscular depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, a copper intrauterine device, or a levonorgestrel implant for contraception: Findings from a randomised, multicentre, open-label trial

“…In a non-randomised trial, the second generation two rod LNG implant Jadelle® was found to have induced similar weight increases to the single rod etonogestrel (ENG) implant Implanon®, with weight gains of approximately 3 vs 1 kg for the Copper IUD users over a 3 year period [22] . In another study, two rod LNG implant users showed greater weight gain compared to the ENG implant users [13] . Other studies have found no differences between the ENG implant compared to other methods [ 23 , 24 ].…”

“…Although many studies report weight gain in users of a range of POCs [ [2] , [3] , [4] , 6 , [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] , [14] , [15] , [16] , [17] , [18] , [19] , [20] ], the literature has focused primarily on depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) delivered as an intramuscular injection 150 mg/ml (IM) with studies reporting weight gain of up to 2–3 kg in the first year of use [ [8] , [9] , [10] , 16 , 20 , 21 ], followed by gains of between 4 and 10 kg with longer term use of 3–5 years [ 2 , 15 , [17] , [18] , [19] ].…”