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Intrauterine Device Insertion and Felt Pain

Intrauterine Device Insertion and Felt Pain: Which Method is Better?

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05956184
Enrollment
128
Registered
2023-07-21
Start date
2023-07-13
Completion date
2023-09-01
Last updated
2023-09-05

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Intrauterine Device Migration

Keywords

Pain, Intrauterine Devices, Conventional Technique, Direct Technique, IUD

Brief summary

The aim of this study is to compare the pain score between the direct method and the conventional method in patients who have undergone copper or hormonal intrauterine devices (IUD) for contraception and to find an answer to the question of which method is better.

Detailed description

The intrauterine device (IUD) is one of the commonly used methods of contraception due to its effectiveness in providing reliable contraception, its ease of application, non-obstruction of sexual life, affordability, minimal absolute contraindications, and reversibility. Despite this increasing preference, concerns regarding the use of both levonorgestrel-releasing and copper IUDs due to the potential pain and fear of pain during insertion, which has hindered the adoption of this method. Although the conventional method is used for intrauterine device insertion, the authors defined the direct method, also known as the torpedo technique, in 2006. IUD practitioners have started to prefer this direct method because it is simpler, faster and has fewer insertion steps than the conventional technique. However, IUD practitioners should apply the most painless and tolerable method to women who choose an IUD for contraception. Therefore, in order to understand which method is less painful, patients will be divided into 2 groups as those who have IUD inserted with the conventional method and those who have IUD inserted with the direct method. At the end of the procedure, participants in both groups will be asked to rate the most severe pain they experienced during the procedure according to the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) (from 0 to 10). In the conventional method: the anterior lip of the cervix was grasped and pulled with Pozzi forceps, and after entering the uterine cavity with a hysterometry the IUD was inserted. In the direct method: the anterior lip of the cervix was grasped and pulled with Pozzi forceps, and without using hysterometry the IUD was directly inserted.

Interventions

All womens will be placed in a gynecological position and underwent a bimanual examination to better determine whether the uterus was in the anteverted or retroverted position. Subsequently, a speculum will be inserted, and the cervix will be disinfected with betadine. In the conventional method: the anterior lip of the cervix is grasped and pulled with Pozzi forceps, and after entering the uterine cavity with a hysterometry the IUD is inserted. In the direct method: the anterior lip of the cervix is grasped and pulled with Pozzi forceps, and without using hysterometry the IUD is directly inserted. The strings will be cut approximately 2-3 cm after the cervix, and the Pozzi forceps and speculum will be removed. The accuracy of the IUD placement will be confirmed using pelvic ultrasound. The process will take about five minutes.

Sponsors

Ankara City Hospital Bilkent
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)

Masking description

The participants will not know which method would be applied to them.

Intervention model description

Two groups as conventional method and direct method

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 45 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Volunteer to participate in the study * Preferring an intrauterine device for the contraceptive method

Exclusion criteria

* Patients with uterine leiomyoma * Patients with endometriosis * Patients with chronic pelvic pain * Patients with familial mediterranean fever * Patients who experienced complications during the procedure * Patients who developed vasovagal reactions * Patients who had previously used an IUD for any reason * Patients with uterine anomalies

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)Thirty minutesThis is a numeric pain score evaluated as painless (score=0) and worst pain (score=10). Score \<3 mild pain, 3-6 mild-moderate pain, and \>6 moderate-to-severe pain.

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026