SOGC COMMITTEE OPINIONBest Practices to Minimize Risk of Infection With Intrauterine Device Insertion
Section snippets
Recommendations
- 1.
All women requesting an intrauterine device should be counselled about the small increased risk of pelvic inflammatory disease in the first 20 days after insertion. (II-2A)
- 2.
All women requesting an intrauterine device should be screened by both history and physical examination for their risk of sexually transmitted infection. Women at increased risk should be tested prior to or at the time of insertion; however, it is not necessary to delay insertion until results are returned. (II-2B)
- 3.
Not enough
BACKGROUND
In the past, the use of IUDs, in particular the Dalkon shield, was found to be associated with increased risk of PID and septic abortion.1., 2. As a result, the IUD fell out of favour as a contraceptive option, especially in women who had not yet had children. However, more recent literature from the last 2 decades has illustrated that the risk of PID after insertion of an IUD is extremely low, especially in women at low risk of STIs, and that this risk peaks in the first month after insertion.
RISK OF PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE AFTER INSERTION
A recent retrospective cohort study in northern California that included 57 728 IUD insertions found an overall risk of PID in the first 90 days of 0.54%.6 This supports historical data that found low rates of PID in women who had IUDs inserted. In a review of trials of IUD insertion in the mid-1970s and 1980s, among 22 908 IUD insertions over 51 399 woman-years of follow-up, Farley et al. found an overall rate of PID of 1.6 per 1000 woman-years of use.3 When sub-analyzed for time from
ROLE OF AND INDICATIONS FOR SCREENING FOR SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS
In 2006, a systematic review attempted to answer the question of whether IUD use increased the risk of PID in women with an STI.15 Ultimately, no studies addressed this issue directly, although 6 did so indirectly. Overall, the rates of PID were low: 0% to 5% in women with an STI at the time of insertion versus 0% to 2% in women without. In 2 of the studies, there were no cases of PID in a total of 18 women who had an asymptomatic chlamydia infection at the time of insertion.16., 17. Women were
BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS
PID has historically been associated with STIs, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, but multiple other agents including genital mycoplasmas, both aerobic and anaerobic endogenous vaginal flora, and aerobic streptococcus can also cause PID.24 This has raised the question of the role of BV in the development of PID. In a longitudinal study of 1179 women in the US, Ness et al. did not find an increased risk of PID in women who had BV25; this study, however, did not include women having IUDs inserted.
ROLE OF PROPHYLACTIC ANTIBIOTICS
There have been several RCTs investigating the role of prophylactic antibiotics in the prevention of pelvic infection following IUD insertion and none found a statistically significant decrease in the rate of PID when women were given antibiotics before IUD insertion.5., 8., 11., 34. A 2010 Cochrane review found that the overall risk of PID was low after IUD insertion, and that giving women either doxycycline 200 mg or azithromycin 500 mg before insertion did not significantly reduce the risk
INSERTION TECHNIQUE
The role of poor aseptic technique in the risk of PID after IUD insertion is not well-known, but it is well-documented in other areas including puerperal and post-abortion infection.36 Intrauterine microbial contamination is highest in the first month of insertion and decreases with time.37 The risk of potentially infectious vectors being introduced into the cavity at the time of IUD insertion is long established; however, this risk is short-lived.38
Although no RCTs have been conducted in this
HORMONE-RELEASING VERSUS COPPER IUD
There are conflicting data comparing any difference in rates of PID in women using the LNG-IUS IUD versus the copper IUD. A large international RCT published in 1991 comparing the LNG-IUD to the Copper T found no statistical difference in rates of PID over 7 years of follow-up.13 As mentioned in the section on PID, the rates of PID did decrease over time for both types of IUD. In contrast, a large European multicentre RCT including 1821 women with LNG-IUS and 937 women with the Nova T did find
HIV-Positive Women
Current evidence supports the safety and efficacy of IUD use in HIV-positive women.47., 48., 49., 50. Concerns about the potential for increased risk of PID in HIV-positive women using IUDs have not been supported by existing literature. In a study in Kenya comparing 156 HIV-positive women and 493 HIV-negative women all using IUDs, the overall complication rates were similar (14.7% vs. 14.8%) and rates of PID were low (2% vs. 0.4%, P = 0.09).50 HIV infection was not found to be associated with
ADOLESCENTS
High levels of sexual activity and inconsistent contraceptive use are factors contributing to the rate of adolescent pregnancy, with a recent review suggesting almost 30% of Americans in grade 9 and over 60% of those in grade 12 have engaged in intercourse.57., 58. Canadian women aged 15 to 19 years rely primarily on contraceptive methods associated with higher compliance requirements, such as condoms and oral contraceptives.59 Nearly 18% rely on the withdrawal method, which has much higher
SUMMARY
IUDs are an extremely safe and effective contraceptive option for women. The historic association with a significantly increased risk of PID that was seen with use of the Dalkon shield has not persisted with the advent of modern IUDs. Screening women for their risk of STIs with a thorough history and a physical exam can identify those who need testing prior to or at the time of insertion. Based on RCTs, there is no benefit to offering all women prophylactic antibiotics. Although there is
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Cited by (16)
Identification and Treatment of Acute Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and Associated Sequelae
2022, Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North AmericaStreptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome After Insertion of a Levonorgestrel Intrauterine Device
2019, Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology CanadaCitation Excerpt :Even though the patient had no known risk factors for pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), a presumptive diagnosis of PID after IUD insertion was made, and the patient was started on the standard protocol of antibiotic therapy with ceftriaxone, doxycycline, and metronidazole. According to the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada guidelines,1 in cases of severe PID, consideration can be given to removing the IUD after an appropriate antibiotic regimen has been started. As such, in our case, we removed the IUD after antibiotic therapy was begun.
Practical Tips for Intrauterine Device Counseling, Insertion, and Pain Relief in Adolescents: An Update
2019, Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent GynecologyCitation Excerpt :One study of adolescents reported that overall satisfaction with IUD insertion was significantly lower in adolescents who had never had a gynecologic examination compared with those who had (odds ratio, 0.26; 95% confidence interval, 0.07-0.99).57 If it is the adolescent's choice to undergo an IUD insertion as part of her first gynecologic exam, testing for sexually transmitted infections, including Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis using a nucleic acid amplification test should be performed concurrently with the IUD insertion; the presence of a mucopurulent cervicitis is a contraindication to same-day IUD insertion.58 Vaginal secretions can be assessed for bacterial vaginosis and Trichomonas vaginalis with a wet mount or rapid Trichomonas testing, although evidence is conflicting about the value of screening for bacterial vaginosis in asymptomatic individuals before IUD insertion.
Improving Physician Knowledge: A Necessary but Not Sufficient Requirement of Improving Intrauterine Contraception Access in Canada
2019, Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology CanadaCitation Excerpt :Nearly 20% of respondents did not know that a sexually transmitted infection and 10% did not know that unexplained vaginal bleeding were contraindications to IUC. Although the risk of PID following IUC insertion is low,18 multiple guidelines suggest that best practice is to rule out the possibility of sexually transmitted infection at the time of insertion.19,20 Because up to 30% of cases of endometrial cancer occur in premenopausal women,21 neglecting to investigate the cause of unexplained vaginal bleeding before inserting an IUC may result in a delay in diagnosis.
Consensus canadien sur la contraception (partie 3 de 4): chapitre 7 - Contraception intra-utérine
2019, Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology CanadaPrevention of postoperative or associated of care pelvic inflammatory diseases: CNGOF and SPILF Pelvic Inflammatory Diseases Guidelines
2019, Gynecologie Obstetrique Fertilite et Senologie
This committee opinion has been prepared by the Infectious Disease Committee, reviewed by the Family Practice Advisory Committee, the Registered Nurse Advisory Committee, the Aboriginal Health Initiative, and the Canadian Paediatric and Adolescent Gynaecology and Obstetricians Committee, and approved by the Executive and Council of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada.
Disclosure statements have been received from all contributors.
The literature searches and bibliographic support for this guideline were undertaken by Becky Skidmore, Medical Research Analyst, Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada.
This document reflects emerging clinical and scientific advances on the date issued and is subject to change. The information should not be construed as dictating an exclusive course of treatment or procedure to be followed. Local institutions can dictate amendments to these opinions. They should be well documented if modified at the local level. None of these contents may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission of the SOGC.