Risk of ectopic pregnancies, impairment of fertility, increase in the number of sexually transmitted infections… Perhaps you have already been told these arguments in detail during a conversation about the IUD. Deterrent ideas, all to be qualified, but which produce their effects. In France, the pill and the condom remain the most widely used contraceptive methods.
At the forefront of those who turn away from it, young people. According to the Health Barometer established by Santé Publique France in 2016, the IUD concerns only 4.6% of women between the ages of 20 and 24. As for 15-20 year olds, it is the pill that dominates them. However, since 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated no contraindication to inserting an IUD for nulliparous women without children.
Reluctant doctors
In this podcast from Wait a minute ! we take stock of the pitfalls around the IUD for nulliparas. You will hear the opinion of gynecologist Marie-Claude Benattar. Without objecting to putting an IUD on young women, she warns of the “test” that the pose can represent for them.
In question, the pose which can be badly lived for “a young girl who does not know her body”. But according to her, the pain can also be greater because the cervix is not as dilated as that of a woman who has already given birth.
In October 2013, a survey of physicians about the IUD reveals that 83% of them think the IUD is unsuitable for nulliparas. Even today, many women are refused a pose by gynecologists.
Reassure, explain, show
In this podcast, you will also hear Marie Benque, general practitioner in Paris. She recalls that certain risks with the IUD exist but that screening for STIs before insertion and monitoring the cycle makes it possible to monitor possible dysfunction. However, she shades the pain during the pose.
“The most frequent comment I have after the installation of an IUD is that it does not hurt as much as you think,” she reports. She recalls: “Whatever the woman’s profile, these are special exams (…) it remains an exam for which you have to take the time to explain well, to build confidence and to ask for authorization”.
According to her, there persists a generational bias which explains why some doctors are still opposed to placing an IUD in nulliparas. “They remain on their anxieties in relation to the risks of ectopic pregnancies, or the risks of salpingitis. They don’t want to put their patient at risk,” she suggests. A reflection on their part that she considers “paternalistic”.
To find out about the different contraceptives, there is the government site Sexuality Question. If you are finally looking to consult for an IUD insertion, there is the site GynadnCo. Above you will find a directory of gynecologists recommended by patients with their feedback. Subjective, but practical.
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