Volunteers needed for women`s study

The University of Queensland is seeking volunteers to participate in a nationwide study of women using a contraceptive implant, called Implanon.

The project is part of a study funded by the National Institutes for Health in the U.S. focusing on the management and treatment of erratic bleeding in Implanon users. Currently, tens of thousands of users in Australia of progestogen-only contraceptives like Implanon experience the side effect of frequent or prolonged bleeding which leads to a high rate of discontinuation.

The study will compare three different treatments for inconvenient, unacceptable menstrual bleeding.

UQ researcher Dr Vivienne O`Connor, who is based at Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Hospital, said the researchers were seeking people who had been using Implanon for at least three months, and who were aged 18 to 45 years.

Volunteers also needed to have suffered erratic or prolonged bleeding, were willing to keep a menstrual diary, and were able to attend several clinical appointments at the QEII hospital at Coopers Plains.

Since its introduction in May 2001, over 160,000 women have been inserted with Implanon, which has a three year lifespan and is at least 99.91% effective in preventing pregnancy. However, around 30% of women using Implanon experience troublesome bleeding and two thirds of those discontinue use.

"A safe and effective treatment for the unacceptable bleeding that some women experience in the first six months of using Implanon, would be a major advance in improving contraceptive choice and the social wellbeing of women in Australia and worldwide," said Dr O`Connor.

"A number of different treatments will be trailed. These include an antibiotic, an oestrogen, and mifepristone – an antiprogesterone drug. The trial makes use of specific properties of each of these drugs, which is thought to assist the bleeding problem. It is hoped that any treatments developed will be long lasting, improve continuation rates and reduce overall costs to the community. Any treatment devised is expected to be applicable to users of other progestogen-only contraceptives like Depo-Provera.

For further information for Brisbane please contact: Erika Ferguson, Research Assistant for the NIH Study on 3840 8161 or 0417 493 458.

Media: Further information, please contact Dr O`Connor, telephone 3840 8795