A new look at the IUD

Shape, August, 2004 by Tajinder Rehal

In the 1980s, many women stopped using the intrauterine device (IUD) for birth control because of the increased risk of pelvic-inflammatory disease. (Early IUDs allowed bacteria to enter the uterus, leading to infection.) Now it's time to rethink the IUD: A study in the journal Contraception found it to be one of the most effective forms of birth control and one that's very cost-effective over the long term. "European women have been using it for the past 20 years without any problem," says William Parker, M.D., a clinical professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, Los Angeles, Medical School and author of A Gynecologist's Second Opinion (Plume, 2003). "If you're in a monogamous relationship, the IUD is a highly desirable form of birth control." Newer copper IUDs as well as Mirena, which contains hormones, are safer than ever since they are made of bacteria-resistant material, Parker adds. Here's a look at the benefits and drawbacks:

IUD Pros            IUD Cons

98 percent          Doesn't protect
effective against   against sexually
pregnancy           transmitted
                    diseases
Effective for five  Can cost up to
years and           $500 and may not
completely          be covered by some
reversible          insurance plans
Immediately         Must be inserted
effective and       and removed by a
doesn't require     physician or nurse
daily attention     practitioner; very
                    rarely, may come
                    out unnoticed
Mirena may help     Except Mirena, may
relieve menstrual   cause painful
cramps.             menstrual cramps or
                    irregular bleeding for
                    the first few months
Mirena may help     Mirena may cause
minimize blood      breast tenderness
loss during         for 2-3 months.

menstruation.

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A new look at the IUD

Shape, August, 2004 by Tajinder Rehal

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