THE REALITY:

This idea is now a myth, said Dr. Alison Lynch-Miller, a gynecologist at All Women’s Care in Bend. The notion that this form of birth control causes permanent infertility, she said, “is really a hangover from the Dalkon Shield.” The Dalkon Shield is an IUD sold to millions of women in the early 1970s, which caused some women to develop pelvic inflammatory disease and endangered their fertility. Times have changed, and so have IUDs. Today’s devices, Lynch-Miller said, bring no additional risk of pelvic inflammatory disease.

IUDs are a very effective form of birth control, according to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. They are inserted into a woman’s uterus, where they can remain for five to 10 years and are at least as effective as other forms of birth control. An IUD, unlike a condom, does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases.

— Betsy Q. Cliff, The Bulletin