Prevalence of cervical neoplasia and infection in women using intrauterine contraceptive devices.

Consecutive cervical smears examined in 1980 were divided into those from women using intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUDs) (757) and those not using them (11,711). Actinomycetes were not found in the non-IUD group but were present in 7.0% of the IUD group and were significantly more common in women with plastic IUDs (11.7%) than in those with copper ones (2.1%). Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), grade 3, was significantly more common in the IUD group (1.06%) than in the non-IUD group (0.34%). Trichomonas infection was significantly more common in women with IUDs and actinomycetes (9.4%), in those with IUDs and without actinomycetes (1.6%) and in those without IUDs attending the clinic for sexually transmitted disease (STD) (5.9%) than in non-IUD, non-STD women (0.7%). Candida infection was not more common in women with IUDs (with or without actinomycetes) (1.2%) than in non-IUD, non-STD women (2.1%) but was significantly more common in STD women (3.8%). A repeat study in 1981 showed a similar prevalence of CIN 3: 1.03% of the IUD group (485) and 0.33% of the non-IUD group (10,850).