There are some methods of birth control that are understood by almost everyone. Condoms and the birth control pill are two of the most popular birth control methods and they are widely known to be effective in stopping unwanted outcomes from sex such as pregnancy and transmission of sexually-transmitted infections.
However, it has been revealed in a new survey that most women have inaccurate perceptions about the safety and effectiveness of intrauterine devices (IUDs) in preventing pregnancy. The authors of the study urged women who didn’t understand the devices to talk to a doctor about the potential benefits of using them.
Specifically, a majority of the study participants didn’t know that IUDs are more effective contraceptives than the pill and that the devices do not increase the risk of getting an STI. It isn’t actually clear whether women have unrealistically optimistic expectations over the quality of the birth control pill or whether they simply have pessimistic expectations over IUDs.
Nevertheless, IUDs are one of the safest and most effective forms of birth control. IUDs are small plastic or copper-and-plastic objects inserted into the uterus. They can be left implanted there for years, and are more than 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy. This is very impressive that, comparatively, the birth control pill is 95 percent effective.
Previous studies had highlighted that understanding of IUDs might not be at the right level, and this new study wanted to look at the specifics of women what understood and what they did not. The study looked at more than 1,600 women between the ages of 18 and 50 who had visited clinics in Pennsylvania in America.
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