Implications of Intrauterine Contraceptive Device on Cervical Health: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Abstract Background: Amongst long acting, reversible contraceptives, Intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUCDs) are popularly used. While IUCDs are generally safe and effective, they can sometimes cause cytopathological changes in the cervix and endometrium. The most common cytopathological changes associated with IUCDs include inflammatory response in the endometrium and cervix, which can lead to the formation of granulomas and other inflammatory lesions, squamous metaplasia and endometrial hyperplasia. IUCDs can sometimes cause atypia in the glandular cells of the cervix, which may indicate a precancerous or cancerous condition. Aims and Objectives: This study was aimed at cytopathologic changes seen in cervicovaginal smears in IUCD users. Material and Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital over a period of 1 year. Results: In this study, maximum number of IUCD users belonged to age group 21 to 30 years and parity wise maximum number of patients were in P-2 group (65.78%). As duration of Cu-T increased, incidence of infection was found to be increased. The most frequent chief presenting complaint was excessive discharge per vaginum (49.13%). In our study specific causes of cervical infection in UCD users were reported as trichomanias 0.8% and candida species 12.07% respectively. We observed that most of the cases initially thought to be LSIL were later attributed to reactive changes specific to IUCD use. Prevalence of LSIL 5.26% and HSIL 0.87% have been reported. Conclusion: These cytopathological changes don’t occur in all the IUCD users and most of changes that do occur are benign and do not require treatment. However, women who use IUCDs should undergo regular cervical cancer screening to detect any abnormal changes that may require further investigation or treatment.