Intrauterine contraceptive device use in patients with acute salpingitis

The frequency of intrauterine contraceptive device (IUD) use among 144 hospitalized women with acute salpingitis was compared with that of 229 control women, who were symptomless sexual partners of men examined for non-gonococcal urethritis. The relative risk for salpingitis was higher for IUD than in the group of basal level of disease (p < 0.02). This was mostly caused by the high relative risk in the women with no deliveries. Oral contraceptives showed a contrary picture, the relative risk was significantly lower than on the basal level (p < 0.01). Non-gonococcal and gonococcal infections were equally represented in salpingitis patients with IUDs. The severity of the infection in IUD users did not differ from that of non-IUD users.