A COMPARISON OF THE INITIAL PAIN RESPONSE FOLLOWING INSERTION OF THE COPPER-7 AND COMBINED MULTILOAD COPPER 250-SHORT IUDS

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 2  (4) , 295-301
Abstract
The immediate post-insertion and 3-min post-insertion pain response in nulliparous women undergoing insertion of either the Copper 7 (Cu 7) or the Multiload Copper 250-short (ML Cu 250-short) IUD [intrauterine device] was studied. Women (35) were fitted with a Cu 7 device and 23 with the ML Cu 250-short IUD. The immediate post-insertion pain scores were significantly higher in the ML Cu 250-short group than in the Cu 7 group. There was no significant difference between the 3-min post-insertion scores for the 2 groups. The 3-min pain scores were significantly lower than the immediate pain scores for each individual device group. Immediate post-insertional IUD pain may be related to the presenting diameter and insertional mechanism of the device. This pain is of short duration and after 3 min the level of pain is independent of the type of device which has been inserted. The rapid diminution in the level of pain at 3 min post-insertion indicates that the routine use of certain analgesic techniques, e.g., para-cervical block before IUD insertion is not justified. Pain following IUD insertion may provide a useful model for the study of various types of peripheral and centrally acting analgesics.