Use of intrauterine devices (IUDs) for contraception in the common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes).
The common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) is a species phylogenetically very close to man. It was not many years ago that the captive population of chimpanzees (P. troglodytes) was considered at risk because of perceived problems with reproductive success. With the potential need for many individuals for research in a variety of areas, particularly in the areas of parasitic and viral infections, an NIH-funded program was established to promote the breeding of the species. That program, the 'National Chimpanzee Breeding and Research Program', was highly successful, so successful, in fact, that there is now a surplus of animals available for current research programs. This situation has prompted the use of intrauterine devices (IUDs) as a method of fertility control. Overall, this method is successful and associated with a failure (of pregnancy) rate similar to that reported in the human. Physical and logistic constraints, however, render the method less than ideal for situations where a pregnancy rate of zero is desired.
Gould
K G
KG
Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center of Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. gould@rmy.emory.edu
Johnson-Ward
J
J
D000818:Animals; D003267:Contraception / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007433:Intrauterine Device Expulsion; D007434:Intrauterine Devices / Q000662:veterinary*; D002679:Pan troglodytes; D011247:Pregnancy; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal