Intrauterine Devices: Separating Fact From Fallacy.
IUDs currently available in the US provide safe and effective contraception. History has falsely led patients and clinicians alike to believe that IUDs are unsafe. For a woman in a long-standing, mutually monogamous relationship, no method of reversible contraception is more effective. The main risk associated with an IUD is infection; this is usually related to insertion, and the risk lasts for approximately 20 days. Currently available IUDs work by various mechanisms to prevent fertilization. The copper-containing IUD is also a highly effective form of emergency contraception. It is important for clinicians to re-educate themselves and their patients about the importance of the IUD as an option for contraception.
Creinin
MD
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at Magee-Womens Hospital, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa.