Florida's experience with an intrauterine device for the nulliparous patients

During a two-year study (1971-1973), 1,179 nulliparous patients used a small double-coil intrauterine device for a total of 9,750 woman months of exposure. The continuation rate achieved was 70%, and a low number of pregnancies were reported. Expulsions totaled 11%, a highly acceptable rate among nulliparous patients. Of three nulliparous devices evaluated, the small coil was selected as the device of first choice in Florida's public health clinics although other devices are available. Study of nulliparous IUD patients was only a small part of the overall study of devices. Experience with 65,693 insertions of Saf-T-Coil and Lippes Loop showed a low number of pregnancies with no reported serious effects such as fatalities, ectopic pregnancies or septic abortions. The current threat posed to wide-scale use of proven intrauterine devices by inappropriate reporting and poor understanding of current investigations of IUD safety could produce unfortunate side effects, including a large surge of unwanted pregnancies across the country.