Birth Control Options for Women - Intrauterine Devices (IUDs)

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Pelvic infections. What was thought to be an increased risk of pelvic inflammatory disease has proven not to be true. The risk does not seem to be any greater than the risk in the general population The risk for infection may be increased around the time of insertion of the IUD, but routine screening before insertion is generally not recommended. There is also no evidence that IUD usage increases the risk of HIV infection.

Effects on Pregnancy.

• None of the current IUDs increase the risk for infertility. Women with a history of using an IUD are no more likely to be diagnosed with infertility than those who have not used IUDs. This seems to be true both for women who have never been pregnant or women who have been pregnant previously.
• In the very unlikely event that a woman conceives with an IUD in place, there is a higher risk of an ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage. Ectopic pregnancy is when the fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus. Most ectopic pregnancies occur in the fallopian tubes. However, overall, women who use IUDs have a significantly lower rate of ectopic pregnancies than women who do not use any contraception. Even for women who have a history of ectopic pregnancies when not using contraception, the IUD is considered safe and may even lower their risk for another one.

Click the icon to see an image of an ectopic pregnancy.

If the IUD is removed right after conception, the risk for miscarriage is close to average (about 20%). There is no evidence that the IUD in a pregnant woman increases the risk for birth defects in the infant.

Perforation. A potentially serious complication of the IUD is the accidental perforation of the uterus during insertion or later perforation if the IUD shifts position. Such an occurrence is very rare, particularly if the doctor is experienced with insertion.

Review Date: 09/28/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).