Pain meds during IUD insertion still rare: study
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios
While clinicians may be paying more attention to women's pain, it's still uncommon to give patients pain or anxiety drugs with a IUD insertion, a new review of 2.4 million outpatient procedures found.
Why it matters: IUDs are the second-most popular form of reversible birth control after birth control pills, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last summer recommended that health providers have more upfront conversations with patients about potential pain or cramping during placement and options for managing discomfort.
- In the U.S., IUD use increased from 2% to 14% between 2002 and 2014, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
What they found: An Epic Research review found 5.36% of IUD placements between the beginning of 2017 and third quarter of 2024 were accompanied by a pain or anxiety medication documented on the same day.
- The most commonly administered medications were non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opioids.
- Topical anesthetics were the least frequently administered, at only 8 per 10,000 IUD placements.
The review found use of pain medication did increase 170% from Q1 2017 to Q3 2024, rising from 343 per 10,000 insertions to 927 per 10,000 insertions.
- There's still some uncertainty if pain relief makes patients feel better overall, and patients who feel anxious about the insertion can have more negative experiences, per Mass General Brigham.
- The Epic Research findings drew from on data compiled from 289 million patient records from 1,600 hospitals and more than 37,000 clinics.
