ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To present the experience of family planning providers and clients in the UK with the GyneFix intrauterine implant device. METHOD: Audit of 138 GyneFix insertions at the Ella Gordon Family Planning Unit in Portsmouth, from 1997 to 1999. RESULTS: Of 138 attempts at GyneFix insertion, 134 were successful. Forty per cent were inserted in nulliparous women. The removal rate was 15%, half of which were due to unacceptable side-effects. The expulsion rate was 8% ranging over a period of a few days to 12 months after insertion. There were no reported perforations or accidental pregnancies with GyneFix in situ in this series. There were no reported pregnancies as a result of unnoticed expulsion. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained in this study are minimal estimates obtained from a retrospective analysis. The numbers are small but they are comparable to results reported from other family planning centers in the UK. Although GyneFix clearly has a useful role, there is a need for a large-scale prospective randomized study to establish the benefits and potential disadvantages of the GyneFix device.
