Pelvic inflammatory disease and the intrauterine device

The authors examined the incidence of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women using an IUD among the population of an area served by a public health service for family planning. Among 300 women who used the IUD for at least 12 months 7 cases (2.3%) showed a pelvic infection and 10 patients (3.3%) only a slight salpingitis without other symptoms. The incidence of PID in women using an IUD is about 3-4% and it increases in nulligravidae in those subjects who engage in frequent intercourse and in those women who have previously suffered from gonococcal infection. The IUDs are associated with a low incidence of pelvic infection in most cases slight so that the use of an IUD does not involve a significant risk of infection. (authors) (summary in ENG)