Fertility after complicated and non-complicated use of IUDs. A controlled prospective study.

From 1980 to 1985, 600 women participated in a prospective study of three copper IUDs. Women who had removed their IUD by April 1985 because of IUD-related complications or planned pregnancy after non-complicated use were examined for return of fertility. Within 39 months after removal, all 97 women who planned pregnancy had conceived. By April 1987, one of the 147 women with a previous IUD complication needed a fertility work-up. Among the remaining 146 women, 72 women had conceived, while 74 women neither had pregnancy plans nor had conceived after IUD removal. Three (1.8%) out of the 169 pregnancies after IUD removal were extrauterine; 17 (10.1%) were spontaneous abortions. One percent of the women planning pregnancy requested induced abortion, compared to 29% among women who removed the IUD due to complications (p less than 0.01). From these data we conclude that use of copper-containing IUDs did not affect subsequent fertility.