Antibiotics Not Beneficial for IUD Insertion.

There is a small risk of introducing bacteria at the time of insertion of an intrauterine device (IUD); the risk of upper genital tract infection lasts a few weeks. This prospective, multicenter study evaluated the use of prophylactic antibiotics in reducing the rate of infection and of IUD removal.

A total of 1,833 women at low risk for STD were randomized to receive either 500 mg of azithromycin or placebo one hour before insertion of a Copper T IUD and were followed for 90 days. The rate of IUD removal, for any reason, was 3.8 percent in the antibiotic group and 3.4 percent in the placebo group -- a nonsignificant difference. Only one woman in each group developed salpingitis. The most common reasons for removal in both groups were heavy …