The Truth about IUD's

WHY DO IUD'S HAVE SUCH A BAD NAME IN THE UNITED STATES?
IUD's have been used in one form or another since 1909. It wasn't until the 1970's that they got such a horrid reputation. The reason that IUD's have such a bad reputation in the UNITED STATES is as a result of an IUD called the Dalkon Shield. The Dalkon Shield was associated with12 deaths due to miscarriage related infections. The device came in two sizes and it was only the large size that had any problems, even though at the time the string was believed to be the cause of the infections. The Dalkon Shield had a multi-filament string which was twisted and this was thought to be a way bacteria entered the uterus. However, this was never shown in the smaller version or in a testing done. 40% of IUD users had the Dalkon Shield. This IUD was taken off the market in 1975. Doctors then charged that all IUD's caused Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. (This has SINCE been proven untrue) It received such bad publicity that manufacturers stopped making the IUD be cause of potential lawsuits in the US and the number of women using the device dropped to almost nothing. This is not true in the rest of the world. Since press coverage outside the US was not very extensive, women throughout the rest of the world continued to use the IUD. In fact, IUD'S ARE THE MOST FREQUENTLY USED BIRTH CONTROL IN THE WORLD. Today, there are two IUD's on the market in the US - a progesterone impregnated IUD (Progestasert®) and a copper wired T-shaped IUD (ParaGuard®). Now the Real Truth about IUD's.

TRUE OR FALSE?

IUD'S CAUSE PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE?
FALSE:
IUD's do have a higher rate of causing infections in the first 3 weeks to 3 months after insertion due to unsterile conditions during placement. This is believed to be caused from unsterile insertion technique. Research has shown that PID can be 6 times higher the first 20 days. After that it is from STD's. There is a higher rate of PID in women who use no birth control than in IUD users. IUD's do not cause PID, Sexually Transmitted Diseases do. Women who have more than one sexual partner, or their partner has more than one partner, are at a high risk of getting an STD. If this is the case, you should not use the IUD. IUD's increase a monogamous woman's chances of getting PID only in the first 3 weeks to 3 months after insertion due to unsterile technique in inserting the IUD.

MYTH: IUD'S CAUSE INFERTILITY?
FALSE:
STD'S AND PID CAUSE INFERTILITY, not IUD's. This was once believed true about IUD's, but many, many studies and statistics throughout the world of IUD users have proven this to be false. IUDs don't affect a woman's chances of having children in the future.

MYTH: WOMEN CAN DIE FROM USING IUD'S IF THEY DO GET PREGNANT
FALSE:
No women have died after an IUDrelated miscarriage since 1977.

MYTH: The IUD IS EFFECTIVE AT THE TIME OF INSERTION, BUT MUST BE REMOVED AFTER TWO YEARS.
TRUE and FALSE:
IUD's are effective from the time of insertion, however studies have shown their effectiveness increases the longer they are in place. Only certain types of IUD's need to be removed in a short time. The Progestasert® needs changed yearly, the Copper-T needs changed every ten years. In other countries, where different IUD's are available, the usual time for removal is five years.

MYTH: IUD USERS GET MORE VAGINAL INFECTIONS
TRUE:
IUD users do tend to get more vaginal infections and inflammation of the cervix (cervicitis). This is believed to be because of irritation cause by the string. These are easily treated vaginally with antibiotics

MYTH: THE STRING CAN BE FELT BY YOUR PARTNER DURING INTERCOURSE
FALSE:
The string should NEVER be felt by your partner. If he can feel it, the string can easily be trimmed so it's not felt.

IUD USERS HAVE MORE MISCARRIAGES.
TRUE:
IUD users have twice as many miscarriages as do nonusers. Your doctor should remove your IUD immediately if the strings are still visible. After removal of an IUD with visible strings, the miscarriage rate is about 30 percent.

IUD'S USERS HAVE MORE OF A CHANCE OF HAVING AN ECTOPIC PREGNANCY
TRUE:
Ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy developing outside the uterus) occurs more often among IUD users than among those women who use the Pill, diaphragms, condoms, or spermicides. Ectopic pregnancy happens more often in women with a Progestasert® IUD than a Copper-T. If you have severe one-sided pain with an IUD, you should contact your health care giver immediately. You could have an ectopic pregnancy.

MYTH: WOMEN WHO HAVE NEVER HAD A BABY CANNOT USE THE IUD.
FALSE:
Doctors in the US do not LIKE to use IUD's in women who have never had children. This goes back to the time of the Dalkon Shield debacle and no one wants to take the chance. In areas outside the US, this isn't the case. Because of what we now know about PID, infertility and the IUD, there is no reason not to use one if you are in a PERMANENT monogamous relationship. Women who have never had children tend to expel the device more than women who have had children.

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