The researchers did this study to explore, in a general practice setting, the concerns, beliefs, and attitudes about IUC reported by women who had never used the methods.
Qualitative themes were concerns about the long-acting nature of IUC, worries about body boundaries, and informal knowledge of IUC, especially ‘friend of a friend’ stories. Women were not sure if the devices can be removed before their full 5- or 10-year duration of use and felt that these timeframes did not fit with their reproductive intentions. Quantitative survey data showed that the most commonly endorsed concerns among never-users were painful fitting, unpleasant removal of the device, and concern about having a device ’inside me’.
The study concluded to facilitate fully informed contraceptive choice. The information provided to women considering IUC should be tailored to comprehensively address the concerns expressed by never-users, particularly around the details of insertion and removal, and concerns about the device’s adverse, long-term effects. Women need to be reassured that IUC can be removed and fertility restored at any time following insertion.
Reference: https://srh.bmj.com/content/44/2/90
