Are IUDs OK When STD Risk Is High?

IUDs seemed safe and effective in women at high risk for STDs.

Recommendations concerning intrauterine device (IUD) use have changed during recent years, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists now states that “nulligravid or multiparous women at low risk for sexually transmitted diseases” (STDs) are appropriate candidates. In a study of almost 200 women in an urban university-based clinic population who (based on their STD risk) traditionally might not have been considered good candidates for IUD insertion, investigators evaluated the acceptability and complication rates of the ParaGard IUD and the Mirena intrauterine system (IUS). A retrospective chart review was conducted for women who underwent IUD or IUS insertion from 2000 through 2005; early discontinuation, side effects, and…

Reviewing Author

Ann J. Davis, MD