Vaginal Bleeding Patterns Among Lactating Women Using Contraceptive Methods

Abstract

Menstrual diary records were obtained from 322 lactating women, each for one year duration starting from delivery. The women were divided into 4 groups according to types of contraceptive used i.e. 114 Depo-provera, 99 Norplant, 32 IUDs and 77 tubal sterilization. A comparative analysis of their vaginal bleeding patterns was performed. The analytic procedures involved dividing each subject's diary into 4 successive 90-day reference periods, and indices for each period were calculated. Depo-provera and Norplant had a similar number of bleeding/spotting episodes. The median values of bleeding/spotting episodes for either group were 1,0,0 and 0 for reference period 1,2,3 and 4, respectively. Median values of bleed ing/spotting episodes for each reference period for women using IUDs were 1,2,3 and 3; and for women undergoing tubal sterilization were 0, 0.1 and 2. Median val ues of number of bleeding/spotting days for reference period 1,2,3 and 4 were as follows : Depo-provera 9.0, 0.0, 0.0 and 0.0 ; Norplant 5.0, 0.0, 0.0 and 0.0; IUDs 4.0, 8.0, 9.0 and 10.5; and tubul sterilization 0.0, 0.0, 0.5 and 7.0. (Thai J Obstet Gynaecol 1992;4: 33-41.)