Abstract

Objective: to test the hypothesis that there is a difference in the contraceptive satisfaction of women with sickle-cell anemia (SC) using long-acting reversible contraceptive methods (LARC) and depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA).

Methods: cross-sectional study performed at two reference centers for SC women in Bahia, Brazil during 2016. Women with SC were included in reproductive age, who had been using a LARC or DMPA for more than 3 months. Were excluded women post-tubal sterilization, with hearing impairment, or on use of medications that could interfere with the reliability of the data. A structured questionnaire was used to collect reproductive and sociodemografic variables. Contraceptive satisfaction was analyzed by grouping a Likert scale (1- satisfied and very satisfied, 2-indifferent, 3- unsatisfied and very unsatisfied).

Results: A total of 66 patients were included, 22 in LARC group and 44 in DMPA group. LARC  group  used  it  for  less  time  (31.8%  vs.  75%,  p  =  0.002),  reported  more  irregular  bleeding (36.4% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.038), higher levels of general satisfaction (1 [1-2] vs. 2 [2-2], p = 0.012) and less dysmenorrhea (45.5% vs. 84.4%, p = 0.002) when compared to DMPA group.

Conclusion: In this population, users of LARC were more satisfied than users of DMPA.

Keywords

sickle cell anemia, women’s health, contraception, patient satisfaction, contraceptive methods