Reasons for discontinuation of reversible contraceptive methods by women with epilepsy.

OBJECTIVE: To report the reasons for discontinuation of contraceptive methods by women with epilepsy (WWE).

METHODS: These retrospective data come from a web-based survey regarding the contraceptive practices of 1,144 WWE in the community, ages 18-47 years. We determined the frequencies of contraceptive discontinuations and the reasons for discontinuation. We compared risk ratios for rates of discontinuation among contraceptive methods and categories. We used chi-square analysis to test the independence of discontinuation reasons among the various contraceptive methods and categories and when stratified by antiepileptic drug (AED) categories.

RESULTS: Nine hundred fifty-nine of 2,393 (40.6%) individual, reversible contraceptive methods were discontinued. One-half (51.8%) of the WWE who discontinued a method discontinued at least two methods. Hormonal contraception was discontinued most often (553/1,091, 50.7%) with a risk ratio of 1.94 (1.54-2.45, p < 0.0001) compared to intrauterine devices (IUDs), the category that was discontinued the least (57/227, 25.1%). Among all individual methods, the contraceptive patch was stopped most often (79.7%) and the progestin-IUD was stopped the least (20.1%). The top three reasons for discontinuation among all methods were reliability concerns (13.9%), menstrual problems (13.5%), and increased seizures (8.6%). There were significant differences among discontinuation rates and reasons when stratified by AED category for hormonal contraception but not for any other contraceptive category.

SIGNIFICANCE: Contraception counseling for WWE should consider the special experience profiles that are unique to this special population on systemic hormonal contraception.