Integrating contraceptive services into existing perinatal care: protocol for a community-based cluster randomised controlled trial in Shanghai, China

INTRODUCTION: Postpartum contraception is essential to preventing unintended pregnancies and short interpregnancy intervals. The first year after childbirth is a critical period with a high risk of unintended pregnancy and induced abortion. However, the postpartum contraceptive services are weak in China’s existing maternal and child healthcare system. We propose to evaluate the effects of integrating postpartum contraceptive services into the existing perinatal care system via a cluster randomised controlled trial. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This cluster randomised controlled trial involves all 13 communities of Minhang District, Shanghai, China. Communities will be randomly allocated, seven in the intervention group and six in the control group. One thousand and three hundred women, 100 women in each community, will be recruited in the study. Women assigned to the intervention group will receive postpartum contraceptive education and counselling during pregnancy, childbirth hospitalisation, postpartum home visits and the 42-day postpartum clinic check-up. Women in the control group will receive routine antenatal and postpartum care. Participants will be recruited in the first trimester during pregnancy and followed up to 1 year postpartum. The primary outcome is the incidence of unintended pregnancy within 1 year after childbirth. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The trial received ethical approval from the Ethics Committee of Shanghai Minhang District Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital (#[2020]KS-02, #[2020]KS-05, #[2020]KS-05-EX). Results will be published in academic journals and disseminated in multiple formats for the health professionals and the public. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR2000034603.