Jaydess® is a new long-acting reversible contraceptive that offers effective protection from unintended pregnancy for up to three years and provides a new option for women who may not be satisfied with their current contraceptive routine.1

Between 30-40% of pregnancies in the UK are unplanned2,3,4 and in England 40.6% of those end in termination.5 The efficacy of commonly used contraceptives, e.g. the Pill, is highly dependent on user compliance.6 For some women, the hassles associated with daily, weekly or monthly contraceptive routines mean that short-acting methods may not be the most suitable option.7 However, awareness of alternative options and in particular, long-acting reversible methods, which are less dependent on user compliance, such as intrauterine contraception (IUC) is low.8,9

Jaydess® is a new, long-acting contraceptive measuring only 28x30x1.55 mm wide with a narrow insertion tube, which provides women additional choice to find the right option for their individual needs. Jaydess® is highly effective with a Pearl Index of 0.331 at three years and as with all IUC, once it is placed does not require women to think about their contraception every day, week or month.10

Dr Paula Briggs, Locum Consultant in Sexual Reproductive Health, Southport and Ormskirk NHS Hospital Trust said: "There is clearly an important role for healthcare professionals in ensuring they discuss all the contraceptive options available to women, to help them find the right option for their needs. Despite a number of benefits to using long-acting reversible contraception, utilisation of these methods is comparatively low. Intrauterine systems, like Jaydess®, can help to give women contraceptive peace of mind, as once placed, they provide effective, reliable protection independent of user compliance."

Jaydess® works by continuously releasing a low dose of a progestogen hormone - levonorgestrel.1 Jaydess® mainly acts locally within the uterus, resulting in low systemic exposure to levonorgestrel.1 Furthermore, Jaydess® can be removed at any time with a rapid return to a woman's usual level of fertility.1

The granting of a licence for Jaydess® is supported by data from a Phase III trial of 1,432 women aged 18-35, including both nulliparous and parous women. Jaydess is not first choice for contraception in nulliparous women as clinical experience is limited.11 The study was a multicentre, multi-national randomised open-label study conducted in 11 countries in Europe, Latin America, the U.S. and Canada. The Pearl Index was the primary efficacy endpoint used to assess contraceptive reliability; data showed that Jaydess® is more than 99% effective in preventing pregnancy.11

Jaydess® is generally well tolerated.11 The absolute rate of ectopic pregnancy observed in women using Jaydess is low since Jaydess has a high contraceptive efficacy. Ectopic pregnancy may impact future fertility so benefits and risks of use should be carefully evaluated, particularly for nulliparous women.

"The launch of Jaydess® in the UK highlights Bayer HealthCare's continued commitment to drive innovation and choice to empower women with a variety of contraceptive options at different reproductive stages of their lives," said Dr. Kemal Malik, Member of the Bayer HealthCare Executive Committee and Head of Global Development. "We are pleased to provide women who are seeking contraception with a new and effective long-term option to consider with their healthcare providers."

Reporting of side effects

This medicine is subject to additional monitoring. This will allow quick identification of new safety information. You can help by reporting any side effects you or your patients may get. See www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard for how to report side effects.

By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine. This includes any possible side effects not listed in the package leaflet.