October 10, 2016

LARC

Long-active reversible contraceptives (LARCs) have been integral contraceptive choices since they first gained popularity in the 1970’s. LARCs include Intrauterine Devices (IUDs) and subdermal hormonal implants, both of which confer stellar efficacy in preventing pregnancy.

In February 2015, the CDC released a data brief discussing the current trends in usage of LARC. The key findings from the Nation Survey of Family Growth, as noted by the CDC are as follows:

  • Use of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) has increased nearly five-fold in the last decade among all women ages 15-44, from 1.5% in 2002 to 7.2% in 2011-2013.
  • Only 5% of young women ages 15-24 use LARC, compared with 11.1% of women ages 25-34.
  • Since the mid-1990s, LARC use has been significantly higher among Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women than non-Hispanic black women.
  • Women who have had at least one birth use LARCs at a higher rate compared with women who have had no previous births, and this difference has increased over time.[1]

In New York State, the Family Planning Benefit Program (FPBP) makes access to free and confidential LARC products available to teens and women of any age. LARC may be available at your Pediatrician or OB-GYN Office, and may even be covered by insurance. If you need to enroll in the FPBP, there are several clinics in the Rochester Area that can help!

FPBP Enrolling Locations

** = Title X Clinic – If individual does not qualify for FPBP, (s)he may qualify for a sliding-scale fee

For more information on LARC, the data, and local access to long-acting reversible contraceptives, please check the links below. Also, connect with the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology website for current recommendations and answers to frequently asked questions!

 

Resource/Information Sites:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db188.htm

LARC.urmc.edu

http://www.acog.org/About-ACOG/ACOG-Departments/Long-Acting-Reversible-Contraception/LARC-Clinical-Resources

http://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Long-Acting-Reversible-Contraception-LARC-IUD-and-Implant

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1110855

http://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378%2810%2900430-8/abstract?cc=y=

http://humupd.oxfordjournals.org/content/17/1/121.short

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