Search

Objectives: The intrauterine device (IUD) is still related to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), pregnancy, expulsion, perforation and menstrual problems, particularly in nulliparous women. We aimed to study the complications and symptoms of the intrauterine device in general practice, particularly in nulliparous women.Methods: We used a retrospective cohort study in four general practices participating in the Nijmegen Continuous Morbidity Registration. Selected women had one or more IUDs inserted between 1981 and 2000. Data on complications, symptoms and removal of the IUD were obtained from the medical records.Results: 461 women were included, 129 nulliparous and 332 parous women. Users of copper IUDs had a rate of PID of 3.5 per 1000 women-years, rates of (ectopic) pregnancy of 0.6 to 1.1% per year and rates of expulsion of 0 to 1.2% per year. Rates of expulsion for the levonorgestrel-releasing IUDs were 0 to 0.2% per year. Nulliparous women did not show more complications than parous women. Menstrual problems were frequent among users of copper and levonorgestrel-releasing IUDs. One third of the IUDs were removed within the first year after insertion. There was no significant excess of IUD removal among nulliparous women compared with parous women. Main reasons for removal were 'menstrual problems' and 'contraception no longer necessary'.Conclusion: Both copper and levonorgestrel-releasing IUDs are safe and highly effective contraceptives, which can adequately be inserted and monitored by general practitioners in nulliparous and parous women.

A total of 110 women who had reported urinary incontinence to their general practitioners were randomly assigned to a treatment or control group. Treatment consisted of pelvic floor exercises in the case of stress incontinence and bladder training in the case of urge incontinence. The results were measured after 3 and 12 months by a research assistant on the basis of a constructed severity scale, an incontinence diary, and a comparison by the patients themselves of their previous and current conditions. After 3 months the control group were given the same treatment. After a further 3 and 12 months, they were assessed in exactly the same way as the treatment group. After 3 months about 60% of the patients were either dry or only mildly incontinent; the mean number of wet episodes had gone down from 20 to 7, and 74% of the women felt improved or cured. These results were later corroborated by the control group. After 12 months this successful outcome was improved slightly further. It may be concluded that the majority of women with incontinence can be successfully treated by the general practitioner. The effect of this treatment continues after one year.