Reaction of Metallic Copper with Biological Substrates

Abstract

IT has been shown by Zipper et al.¹ that a plastic T-shaped intrauterine device is much more effective in preventing pregnancies in women if its stem is encased by copper wire. After removal of the copper intrauterine device from the human uterus, the copper wire is blackish and weighs less than at the time of insertion; a device with a 200 cm² copper surface loses 60 µg per day of usage (personal communication from H. J. Tatum).