Intrauterine devices and pelvic inflammatory disease
Gareen, I.F.
Current Women's Health Reports 3(4): 280-287
2003
ISSN/ISBN: 1534-5874 PMID: 12844450 Document Number: 553749
The intrauterine device (IUD) has experienced a resurgence of popularity. Much of this popularity is attributable to reassessments of the association between IUD use and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in which authors conclude that the association is attributable to factors other than the IUD. This article examines recent studies that assess the risk of PID with IUD use, explains why some of the assumptions on which the arguments regarding a lack of an association between IUD use and PID are based might not be correct, and recommends additional trials to evaluate IUDs as one of several contraceptive options.