What You Need to Know About Intrauterine Devices (IUDs)
Family planning enables couples to have children when they want and in the number they desire. Contraceptive methods are one component of family planning. One of the most commonly used birth control methods in society is the intrauterine device (IUD). In this article, we aim to provide both the necessary and interesting information about IUDs.
What is the interesting story behind IUDs?
According to legends, before camels set out on long journeys, their wombs were filled with pebbles to reduce the risk of pregnancy. Leaving this legend aside, it is possible to say that IUD use in humans has gone through similar stages. Around 400 BC, the Hippocratic school described a tube placed inside the uterus and filled with sheep fat, similar to today’s IUDs. To prevent pregnancy, it is known that in New Zealand, stones were placed in the uterus, while in Persia, tightly rolled paper sticks dipped in ginger juice were inserted into the cervix.
How did modern IUDs develop?
For many years, attempts were made either to avoid using IUDs or to improve them. The main reason was that asepsis and antisepsis had not yet developed, and inserted IUDs carried a risk of infection. The first medical publication on IUDs was written in 1909 by Richard Richter, who described using “silkworm gut.” One end of this thread was left extending from the cervix to make removal easier. Later, Ernest Gräfenberg introduced the forerunner of modern IUDs by wrapping silver into a ring shape. Different forms of this ring were developed, and the first scientific conference on IUDs was held in 1962.
How were IUDs improved?
After the first IUDs were developed, different types were studied. In the 1970s, the Dalkon Shield was developed and created great hope, but due to side effects it was eventually not recommended. Later, the Lippes Loop and, more recently, modern copper T- or 7-shaped IUDs came into use. Because of the spiral structure of the Lippes Loop, the term “spiral” is still commonly used for IUDs today. The latest development in IUDs is the hormone-releasing (levonorgestrel) IUD, also known as the “hormonal IUD.”