Long-acting reversible contraceptives

[1] In one study, LARC users saved thousands of dollars over a five-year period compared to those who buy condoms and birth control pills.

[5][6] In 2008, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG) launched The Long-Acting Reversible Contraception Program with the intention to reduce rates of unintended pregnancy by promoting LARCs, often referred to as a "LARC-first" model.

[6] These rates are comparable to those of permanent sterilization procedures, leading to conclusions that LARCs should be offered as "first-line contraception.

"[6] LARCs can also be used to treat other conditions, primarily by regulating or stopping the bleeding portion of a user's menstrual cycle.

[29] One researcher estimates that use of the levonorgestrel IUD can be up to 31% cheaper than using non-LARC methods such as birth control pills, patch, ring, or injectables.

Studies conducted in California and St. Louis have shown that rates of LARC usage are dramatically higher when the costs of the methods are either covered or removed.

[30][31][32] The Colorado Family Planning Initiative (CPFI), a six-year $23 million privately funded program to expand access to LARCs, This program specifically provided no-cost LARCs to low-income women across the state of Colorado, with the intention of preventing unintended pregnancies within specific groups deemed at high-risk of unintended pregnancy.

[33][34] A 2017 study found that CPFI "reduced the teen birth rate in counties with clinics receiving funding by 6.4 percent over five years.

"[35] The United Kingdom Department of Health has actively promoted LARC use since 2008, particularly for young people;[37] following on from the October 2005 National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines, which promoted LARC provision in the United Kingdom, accurate and detailed counseling for women about these methods, and training of healthcare professionals to provide these methods.

[38] Giving advice on these methods of contraception has been included in the 2009 Quality and Outcomes Framework "good practice" for primary care.

According to the CDC Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use, LARC methods are recommended for the majority of women who have had their first menstruation, regardless of whether they have had any pregnancies.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in a policy statement and technical report published in October 2014 recommended LARC methods for adolescents.

[44][45][46] ACOG practitioners have since come forward with an attempt at re-balancing recommendations to center patient needs and desires in contraceptive counseling.