Satisfação e padrão de sangramento de mulheres férteis em situação de vulnerabilidade usuárias do implante de etonogestrel e uma reflexão sobre a importância da iniciação científica na formação médica de uma estudante de medicina

Abstract

In a context where more than half of pregnancies in Brazil are unplanned—a recognized public health issue—and considering that women in situations of vulnerability are more susceptible to the negative impacts of such events, the adoption of contraceptive methods that align with the realities of this group is an important strategy to prevent further increases in these numbers and to mitigate the complications of a potential high-risk pregnancy. This project aims to evaluate the satisfaction level and bleeding patterns among users of the etonogestrel implant in a municipality in the interior of São Paulo state. The study has an observational, cross sectional, descriptive/quantitative design and targets women of reproductive age in vulnerable situations who have been using the method for at least three months. The most prevalent age group was 26–35 years (39.6%), and the majority of participants self-identified as mixed race or white (93%). Most women had previously used some form of contraception (79%), with combined oral contraceptives and the quarterly injectable being the most common. Satisfaction with the method was considered high (64.9% reported being very satisfied), with the main positive aspects being its efficacy (71.9%) and convenience (64.9%). Bleeding patterns between 3 and 6 months of use were predominantly unfavorable (57.2%), but tended to improve to a favorable pattern (77.8%) after 12 months. Thus, the etonogestrel implant proved to be a well-accepted contraceptive method with notable advantages among women in vulnerable situations, reinforcing the importance of its availability for this population and the need to expand access to it as a contraceptive option within the public healthcare system.