REVERSIBLE METHODS OF BIRTH CONTROL: IUD—INTRAUTERINE DEVICE

The intrauterine device (IUD) is the world’s most popular method of reversible birth control for women. Nearly 100 million women use it—20 percent of all women who use birth control, including 40 percent of the women in China who use contraception. When placed inside a woman’s uterus, an IUD helps prevent pregnancy. Not all IUDs are alike. There are several types, and they come in different sizes. The IUD is the most cost-effective reversible method of contraception available in the world.

The IUD is recognized by the World Health Organization and the American Medical Association as one of the safest and most effective temporary methods of birth control for women. Unfortunately, several years of negative publicity and speculation followed lawsuits brought on by the sale and use of a faulty IUD—the Dalkon Shield—and raised many questions about the safety of all IUDs. Lawsuits sparked by the sale of the Dalkon Shield caused some manufacturers to withdraw even safe IUDs from the American market. For these reasons, the variety of available IUDs in the United States is limited, and the once popular IUD is used by fewer than 2 percent of American women who use reversible contraception.

IUDs are reversible prescription methods of birth control. They are small devices made of plastic that contain copper or a natural hormone. If you choose the IUD, your clinician will suggest which is the right type for you before inserting it into your vagina. The ParaGard (Copper T-380 A) can be left in place for 10 years. The Progestasert must be replaced every year. Insertion and removal must be done by a clinician.

How IUDs Work

IUDs usually work by preventing fertilization of the egg. They may also work by affecting the way sperm or eggs move or by affecting the lining of the uterus in ways that prevent implantation.

Effectiveness of IUDs

The IUD is one of the most effective reversible methods of birth control available to women in the United States. Of 100 women who use IUDs, fewer than three will become pregnant during the first year of typical use. Fewer than one will become pregnant with perfect use of the ParaGard (Copper T-380 A). Only two will become pregnant with perfect use of the Progestasert. Fewer pregnancies occur with continued use.