I Want My IUD How public-health experts are rebranding the much derided contraceptive

摘要

If you're a woman in the U.S., you'd be forgiven for being wary of the intra-uterine device. The reversible contraceptive-which is popular globally-has a dark past in the States, after the Dalkon Shield, a '7os-era IUD, was linked to pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility and was subsequently beset by lawsuits. Consumer mistrust has lingered ever since. But that was then. Although today's IUDs aren't perfect, experts say they're safe and cheaper (in the long term) than the Pill. And usage is rising: roughly 8.5% of American women who use contraceptives use IUDs, up from 5.5% in 2007 and 2.4% in 2002. In order to lift those stats even further, major public-health organizations such as the National Institute of Reproductive Health and the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy have started a major push to raise IUD awareness among younger generations and thwart the stigma before it sticks.