Immediate postpartum long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) refers to the insertion of an intrauterine device (IUD) or contraceptive implant immediately after childbirth, before hospital discharge.
Both IUDs and contraceptive implants may be placed prior to hospital discharge after vaginal or cesarean births.[1] This approach is supported as safe and effective by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the Association of Certified Nurse Midwives.[2,3] Furthermore, the National Quality Forum has identified LARC provision during the delivery hospitalization as a metric of high quality contraceptive care.[4]