Extended use of long-acting contraceptives – Family Planning Alliance Australia

Long-acting reversible contraceptive methods (LARCs) are greater than 99% effective with normal use.

The Family Planning Alliance of Australia (FPAA)[1] has previously recommended the extended use of LARCs during the COVID-19 pandemic. This statement refers to use of these methods for contraception and does not include their use for heavy menstrual bleeding or menopausal hormone therapy. Due to the removal of lockdowns and the increased availability of face-to-face consultations to facilitate LARC insertion and removal FPAA is providing revised advice about extended use for:

- 52 mg LNG-IUD (Mirena)

- 19.5mg LNG-IUD (Kyleena)

- Copper IUDs

- Contraceptive Implant (Implanon NXT).

See Extended use of LARC methods for the full details.

[1] The Medical Advisory Committee of Family Planning Alliance Australia is comprised of senior medical educators, senior medical officers, and medical directors of the member family planning organisations. The Clinical Reference Group of the Medical Advisory Committee exists as a means to review current clinical practice and provide evidence and consensus-based recommendations for use by clinicians where clinical guidance is lacking.