Which Emergency Contraceptive Method Best Balances Cost and Efficacy?

Intrauterine devices are most expensive to administer but most cost-effective during the first year.

The initial cost of emergency contraception (EC) is wide-ranging; standard pharmacy pricing is US$29 (oral levonorgestrel [LNG]), $43 (ulipristal acetate [UPA]), $887 (copper intrauterine device [IUD], and $917 (oral LNG plus immediate LNG IUD placement). However, women who use oral LNG or UPA are more likely to become pregnant during the following year than those receiving an IUD. Hence, cost-effectiveness calculations must also account for health costs during that first year. Investigators developed a decision analytic model to compare cost-effectiveness of these four EC options over a broad range of assumptions.

Both the copper IUD and the combination of oral LNG plus immediate LNG IUD insertion were more cost-effective than oral LNG or U…

Reviewing Author

Robert L. Barbieri, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Robert L. Barbieri, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Which Emergency Contraceptive Method Best Balances Cost and Efficacy?

Topics

Reviewing Author