Background The unmet need for postpartum contraception is a global challenge. Postpartum placement of an intrauterine device (IUD) within 48 hours of vaginal delivery is available in many settings worldwide, but is not routinely practised in Sweden. To improve contraceptive services and facilitate the informed choice of IUD placement at the time of a caesarean section (CS), we performed this study to identify and describe women's experiences of contraceptive services before, during and after an elective CS.Methods A qualitative design and methodology was used. We interviewed 20 women aged 28-42 years who underwent elective CS in Sweden. Interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.Results The three main themes found were (1) receptivity to contraceptive counselling in the context of CS, (2) communication and decision-making about postpartum contraception before CS and (3) lack of support and guidance to receive contraceptive services before and after CS. The participants described readiness and interest regarding postpartum contraception. They prefered counselling from around 25 weeks of gestation. Despite this finding, antenatal communication and contraceptive decision-making seemed rare. Participants reported a lack of support and guidance which necessitated a need by women to navigate the contraceptive services themselves in order to receive information about contraception before CS and to receive postpartum support.Conclusions Antenatal contraceptive counselling including information about IUD placement during CS was appreciated and welcomed by women with elective CS as their birth method. Most of the women whom we interviewed would prefer to receive contraception counselling on postpartum use during the second half of their pregnancy.

Introduction In this open-label, randomized controlled, non-inferiority, multicenter study we aimed to study the risk of termination of pregnancy within 1 year postpartum, the safety profile and patient acceptability after early postpartum insertion of a hormonal intrauterine device (LNG-IUS, Mirena (R)) compared with standard placement 6-8 weeks postpartum. Material and methods April 2018 to January 2020 women with uncomplicated vaginal delivery at four urban birth centers in Sweden, were randomized to either early placement within 48 h after delivery (early group) or standard placement 6-8 weeks postpartum (standard group) of a hormonal intrauterine device. The main outcome measure was the proportion of terminations of pregnancies in each group during the first year after placement of the intrauterine device. Registration EudraCT database no. 2017-001945-29. Results The study was prematurely stopped according to the protocol due to an expulsion rate >20% in the early group. No pregnancies occurred. Fifty-two women were randomized to early and 49 women to standard insertion. In the early group, 23/52 (44.2%) of the intrauterine devices were expelled. After expulsion, 10 women chose to have another hormonal intrauterine device placed but still significantly fewer women (39/52, 75%, p = 0.22) in the early group used the hormonal intrauterine device method at study completion. No expulsions occurred in the standard group, but 5/49 (10.2%) requested removal and 41/49 (83.7%, p = 0.22) had used the hormonal intrauterine device method continuously for 1 year. Conclusions Early hormonal intrauterine device insertion after vaginal delivery is associated with high expulsion rates. Despite this, a high continuation rate of the hormonal intrauterine device method is seen among women once choosing the method. In the light of high continuation rates, the advantages of early insertion could balance the risk of expulsion for well-informed women.

Objectives: Few studies, with contradictory results, evaluate intrauterine contraceptives (IUC) and sexual function specifically. This study compares perception of sexual desire related to IUC use and aspects of sexual function in women who use the Lng-IUS with those using the Cu-IUD. Study design: A secondary analysis regarding IUC use based on a larger cross-sectional survey of contraceptive use in Sweden, conducted in 2013. In total, 153 IUC users (103 Cu-IUD and 50 Lng-IUS users) answered the questionnaire. The only inclusion criterion was intrauterine contraceptive use. Main outcome measures: Were self-reported sexual desire changes related to contraceptive method. We also analysed aspects of sexual functioning; sexual desire level, sexual activity, orgasm frequency, satisfaction with sex life and satisfaction of desire level. Results: A negative effect on sexual desire due to contraceptive method was reported by 28% of the Lng-IUS users and by 10.1% of the Cu-IUD users (p amp;lt; 0.05). Results were more marked after adjusting for age, body mass index, depression, parity, switching behaviour, and partnership (OR 5.0; CI: 1.8-13.8). The adjusted odds of reporting low sexual desire level (never or almost never feeling sexual desire) (OR 3.5; CI: 1.1-11.2) as well as low satisfaction with sex life (OR 2.7; CI: 1.2-6.3) was higher in the Lng-IUS group (adjusted for same confounders as above). Conclusions: The women in this study using the Lng-IUS more often report negative sexual desire effects of their contraception as well as lower sexual desire level compared with women using the Cu-IUD.

BACKGROUND: Postpartum infections are a common cause of morbidity after childbirth. Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to increase the risk for several infections in a non-pregnant population. Vitamin D deficiency has been described as common in pregnant women.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women in labor was associated with an increased risk of overall postpartum infectious morbidity within eight weeks of delivery. A secondary aim was to estimate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among pregnant women in Linköping, Sweden at the time of delivery.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Serum vitamin D levels in labor were analyzed for 1397 women. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as serum levels <50 nmol/L. All ICD-10 codes given to the women eight weeks postpartum were reviewed and postpartum infections were defined as the presence of an ICD-10 code suggestive of infection. The prevalence of postpartum infections among women with sufficient vitamin D levels was compared with women with vitamin D deficiency. Adjusted Odds Ratios and 95% confidence intervals for postpartum infections were calculated using multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS: Fifty eight per cent of the women had serum vitamin D levels <50 nmol/L. The proportion of women with vitamin D deficiency varied, as expected, with season. No association between vitamin D deficiency and postpartum infections was found. For vitamin D 25-50 nmol/L the adjusted Odds Ratio was 0.85 (95% confidence interval 0.56-1.29) and for vitamin D <25 nmol/L the adjusted Odds Ratio was 1.15 (95% confidence interval 0.66-2.03). Women who smoked or who had a cesarean section had an increased risk of postpartum infections.

CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency was more common than previously reported in Swedish pregnant women. No association between vitamin D deficiency and postpartum infections was found. Other well-known risk factors for postpartum infection were identified.

Objective: Ever since the introduction of combined oral contraception (COC), one of the major reasons for discontinuing the pill use has been mood-related side effects. Moreover, women who discontinue the pill turn to less effective methods whereby the probability of an unintended conception increases. Approximately 4-10% of COC users complain of depressed mood, irritability or increased anxiety, but drug-related causality has been difficult to prove. Given the lack of randomized controlled trials in this area, we aimed to prospectively estimate the severity of adverse mood in COC users that would be as representative of general users as possible. Methods: This investigator-initiated, multi-center, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study included 202 healthy women. Women were randomized to a COC (1.5 mg estradiol and 2.5 mg nomegestrolacetate) or placebo for three treatment cycles. Main outcome measure was the Daily Record of Severity of Problems (DRSP), which was filled out daily during one baseline cycle and the final treatment cycle. Results: Results from 84 women in the COC group and 94 women in the placebo group were analysed. COC use was associated with small, but statistically significant, increases in mean anxiety (0.22; 95% CI: 0.07-0.37, p = 0.003), irritability (0.23; 95% CI: 0.07-0.38, p = 0.012), and mood swings scores (0.15; 95% CI: 0.00-0.31, p = 0.047) during the intermenstrual phase, but a significant premenstrual improvement in depression (-0.33; 95% CI: -0.62 to -0.05, p = 0.049). Secondary analyses showed that women with previous adverse hormonal contraceptive experience reported significantly greater mood worsening in the intermenstrual phase in comparison with healthy women, p amp;lt;0.05. The proportion of women who reported a clinically relevant mood deterioration did not differ between those allocated to COC (24.1%) or placebo (17.0%), p = 0.262. Conclusion: COC use is associated with small but statistically significant mood side effects in the inter menstrual phase. These findings are driven by a subgroup of women who clearly suffer from COC-related side effects. However, positive mood effects are noted in the premenstrual phase and the proportion of women with clinically relevant mood worsening did not differ between treatment groups. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Objectives The aim of the study was to determine whether a decrease in sexual desire is more prevalent among women using hormonal contraception than among women using hormone-free contraception, and whether a decrease increases the risk of changing to another contraceptive method. Methods A validated questionnaire was posted to 3740 women (aged 22, 25 or 28 years) living in Sweden. Descriptive statistics were used to present the results; differences between groups were tested using χ(2) analyses. A multiple logistic regression model was used for analysis of possible confounders. Results The response rate was 50%. The majority (81%) of respondents used some kind of contraception, and 88% were generally satisfied with the method used. Regardless of the type of method, 27% of hormonal contraceptive users reported a decrease in sexual desire that they attributed to their use of hormonal contraception, whereas only 12% of women using hormone-free contraception reported a decrease in sexual desire (p<0.01). This twofold risk of a decrease in sexual desire was shown in the multiple regression analysis to be independent of age group, depression, BMI, educational level and parity. However, having a partner was found to be a factor of equal importance: women with partners experienced reduced desire twice as often as women without partners. The observed odds ratio for planning to stop hormonal contraception or to change to a different type due to reduced desire was 8.16 (95% confidence interval 6.65-10.1) among women who had had the same experience during a previous period of hormonal contraceptive use. Conclusions Women using hormonal contraception were more likely to experience reduced sexual desire compared with women using hormone-free contraception. Experiencing reduced desire was a strong predictive factor for women to change contraceptive method.

IntroductionDespite high access to contraceptive services, 42% of the women who seek an abortion in Sweden have a history of previous abortion(s). The reasons for this high repeat abortion rate remain obscure. The objective of this study was to study the choice of contraceptive method after abortion and related odds of repeat abortions within 3-4 years. Material and methodsThis is a retrospective cohort study based on a medical record review at three hospitals in Sweden. We included 987 women who had an abortion during 2009. We reviewed medical records from the date of the index abortion until the end of 2012 to establish the choice of contraception following the index abortion and the occurrence of repeat abortions. We calculated odds ratios (OR) with 95% CI. ResultsWhile 46% of the women chose oral contraceptives, 34% chose long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC). LARC was chosen more commonly by women with a previous pregnancy, childbirth and/or abortion. During the follow-up period, 24% of the study population requested one or more repeat abortion(s). Choosing LARC at the time of the index abortion was associated with fewer repeat abortions compared with choosing oral contraceptives (13% vs. 26%, OR 0.36; 95% CI 0.24-0.52). Subdermal implant was as effective as intrauterine device in preventing repeat abortions beyond 3 years. ConclusionsChoosing LARC was associated with fewer repeat abortions over more than 3 years of follow up.

At present, women are recommended to avoid pregnancy 12-18 months after bariatric surgery. Our aim in this study was to describe patterns of contraceptive use before and after gastric bypass in Sweden, and to describe the contraceptive counseling given preoperatively to women undergoing gastric bypass. In October 2012, a questionnaire was sent to 1000 Swedish women who all had undergone gastric bypass during 2010. The women had been included in the Scandinavian Obesity Surgery Register at time of surgery. The main outcome measures were patterns of use of contraception before and after bariatric surgery. The response rate was 57 %. The most commonly used contraceptive methods were intrauterine devices, 29 % preoperatively and 26 % postoperatively even though there was a postoperative switch from the copper intrauterine device to the levonorgestrel intrauterine system. Thirty percent did not use any contraceptive during the first 12 months after surgery. Sixty percent of the responders were aware of the recommendations to avoid pregnancy after surgery. Many women who undergo bariatric surgery are not using any contraceptive method despite the recommendation that they should avoid pregnancy for at least 12 months. There is a great need to improve contraceptive counseling for this growing group of women.

Objective To compare contraceptive services provided by family planning clinics in Linkoping and Norrkoping in Ostergotland County, Sweden. The two cities are of similar size but have different socio-demographic profiles. The abortion rate in Link ping (15.3 per 1000) is substantially lower than in Norrkoping (21.1 per 1000). Methods The study was performed in two steps. First, the clinics providing contraceptive services in the two cities were studied using ten pre-defined quality indicators. Thereafter, 11 healthcare providers were interviewed: six in Linkoping and five in Norrkoping. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results No differences were found in the organisation of contraceptive care in the two cities. Neither city met the criteria for five of the ten quality indicators. The analysis of the interviews generated four themes: Guidelines and electronic record template, Criteria for good contraceptive counselling, Availability of contraception, and Sexual health. The interviews revealed that the clinical leadership in Norrkoping was insuffincient. Conclusion Clinics in the two cities are organised in the same way so that differences in abortion rates cannot be related to differences in organisation. The reasons for the differences in abortion rates in the two cities have yet to be determined.

Objective: Incidence and disease course of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is influenced by sex steroids and several studies have shown less disease activity during high estrogen states. We have earlier shown variation in symptom experience related to estrogen/progestogen phase in women using combined hormonal contraceptives (CHC) in a small sample. The aim of this study was confirm these results in a larger sample.

Design: Self-assessment of symptoms of MS in relation to CHC cycle or menstrual cycle. Sample: Twenty-three female MS patients using CHC. Control groups were female MS patients without hormonal contraception and healthy women with CHC and without hormonal contraception.

Methods: All women filled out a symptom diary based on a validated instrument for cyclical symptoms.

Main Outcome measures: Mean scores for high and low estrogen/progestogen phases were compared.

Results: The women with MS using combined hormonal contraceptives scored all symptoms higher during the pill-free week than during the CHC-phase and the scores for vertigo, weakness, urinary symptoms and stiffness were significantly higher during the seven days without CHC (p < 0.05). No such relation was found in the group of women with MS not using any hormonal contraception. Women without MS did not report any symptoms at all.

Conclusion: Women with MS report more pronounced symptoms during the lowestrogen/ progestogen phase of CHC use. Future studies should investigate, with a prospective, controlled design, which effects continuous-use regimens of CHC have in women with MS.