Abstract

PIP: Two recent surveys provide insights into U.S. women's attitudes toward and perceptions of the IUD. The first study was based on in-depth interviews conducted with 300 women 21-54 years of age in 6 cities; the second was based on telephone interviews with 1852 low-income, predominantly Black and Hispanic women 18-34 years of age from New York City. Compared to other contraceptive methods such as the pill, condoms, and sterilization, respondents judged themselves to be not very knowledgeable about the IUD. Although women placed a high value on a method that was safe, easy, convenient, and protective against sexually transmitted diseases, their current methods tended to lack these attributes. Women were likely to recognize that the IUD requires no daily attention on their part, but did not perceive safety as a prominent IUD characteristic. Women's perceptions of the IUD tended to be based on hearing others talk about the method rather than on personal experience. Only 18% of respondents in the first study had ever used the IUD and only 4% were current users; most of these current users were 35 years old and above. Among the low-income younger women in the second study, 3% were past IUD users and 1% were current users. While 17% of women in the first survey said they were likely to discuss the IUD with their physician in the future, this statistic rose to 46% after women were read a description of the method. In the second study, 9% of women who had never used the IUD said they would consider its use in the future. Younger women and those born outside the US were most likely to consider future IUD use, presumably because they had not been exposed to negative publicity surrounding the Dalkon Shield.