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Intrauterine Devices: Separating Fact From Fallacy
1Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at Magee-Womens Hospital, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa.
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.
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.