• Taghreed M Shams, Hashem H Alhashemi, Albaraa A Fallatah, Asma M Alkhalid, Fai M Alhazmi, Mohammed K Bin Yunus, Rani N Radey, Asalah F Hamad, Hatoon T Beyari, and Shahad S Alharazi.
• From the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Shams), College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University For Health Sciences.
• Saudi Med J. 2024 Mar 1; 45 (3): 261266261-266.

ObjectivesTo examine the prevalence of menstrual irregularities, side effects, and discontinuation rates of etonogestrel subdermal implants (ESI) in women attending King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.MethodsThis cross-sectional was carried out based on electronic medical records and a phone-based questionnaire administered to women who underwent ESI insertion in a single tertiary care hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between 2019 and 2022. The primary objective was the prevalence of menstrual abnormalities. The secondary study objective included the discontinuation rate, reasons for discontinuation, and ESI side effects.ResultsIn total, 345 women with ESI were included in this study. The prevalence of any type of menstrual abnormalities was 88%. Other side effects included skin and mood changes, arm pain, and numbness. The discontinuation rate was 11% in the first year and 22% before the completion of 36 months.ConclusionAlthough menstrual abnormalities are a common side effect of ESI, only 22% of users discontinued this method of contraception.Copyright: © Saudi Medical Journal.

11 keywords...

hide…