Abstract
A pre-introductory multicentre clinical trial of Norplant contraceptive subdermal implants was initiated in Nigeria in October 1985, involving teaching hospitals in Ibadan, Zaria, Benin City, Jos and Ilorin. The objective of the study was to assess the acceptability of Norplant in a Sub-Saharan African population where access to family planning is limited, and where the five-year duration of action, convenience of use and high effectiveness of Norplant might offer providers and users a promising new contraceptive alternative. A total of 250 clients were recruited into the study between October 1985 and November 1986. At the end of three years, the gross cumulative lifetable pregnancy rate was 2.2 per 100 women while the removal rate for menstrual problems was 8.4 per 100 women. There was little variation in the clinical performance of Norplant among the five study sites. The continuation rate for the entire group at the end of three years was 77.4 per 100 women. In this first report of a Norplant clinical study in Sub-Saharan Africa, these data are encouraging in that they show a high degree of satisfaction among users with Norplant in an area of the world where low access to family planning has inhibited fertility control.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 103-107 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | British Journal of Family Planning |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Publication status | Published - 1992 |
| Externally published | Yes |
