Levonorgestrel vs. Copper Intrauterine Devices for Emergency Contraception

This randomized noninferiority trial compared the efficacy of levonorgestrel 52mg IUDs (LNG-IUD) and copper T380A IUDs for emergency contraception in 711 participants who had unprotected intercourse within 5 days prior. The primary outcome pregnancy at 1 month occurred in 0.3% (1/317) of LNG-IUD users versus 0% (0/321) of copper IUD users, with an absolute difference of 0.3 percentage points (95% CI, 0.9 to 1.8), meeting the prespecified noninferiority margin of 2.5 percentage points. Adverse event rates were similar between groups (5.2% vs. 4.9%). The study demonstrates that LNG-IUDs are a viable alternative to copper IUDs for emergency contraception, addressing patient preferences while maintaining high efficacy.

This randomized noninferiority trial compared the efficacy of levonorgestrel 52mg IUDs (LNG-IUD) and copper T380A IUDs for emergency contraception in 711 participants who had unprotected intercourse within 5 days prior. The primary outcome pregnancy at 1 month occurred in 0.3% (1/317) of LNG-IUD users versus 0% (0/321) of copper IUD users, with an absolute difference of 0.3 percentage points (95% CI, 0.9 to 1.8), meeting the prespecified noninferiority margin of 2.5 percentage points. Adverse event rates were similar between groups (5.2% vs. 4.9%). The study demonstrates that LNG-IUDs are a viable alternative to copper IUDs for emergency contraception, addressing patient preferences while maintaining high efficacy.