The End of IUD Marketing in the United States: What Does It Mean for American Women?

Abstract

The manufacture and marketing of Lippes Loop, Cu-7, and TCu 200 was terminated in September 1985. Although these events affect only 1 method of contraception (IUD), they have ramifications which extend for beyond the US IUD market. The decision to stop selling IUDs was for economic reasons, in particular, the financial risks posed by lawsuits charging the companies with liability for injuries allegedly related to IUD use. The altered availability of the IUD has implications for contraceptive practice in general in the US. The American public already holds rather inaccurate views about contraceptive methods, believing the risks to be much greater and the benefits much smaller than they really are. IUDS are also used in many other countries, both developed and developing. Like Americans, people in those countries undoubtedly find the legal and insurance aspects of US product liability very confusing, and consequently are likely to think that these actions were taken in response to medical problems associated with the devices. Such misunderstanding of the reasons behind the discontinuation of IUD marketing, moreover, may add to foreign sensitivity about the role of the US government, through its Agency for International Development, in making available to women in developing countries contraceptive methods not used by American women. Current IUD users face difficult choices, and will need reliable, clear information from their physicians and from the media about the risks and benefits of the alternatives available to them, including continued use of their IUDs until the end of those devices' lifetimes. But attention should not be focused solely on the short-term needs of these women. A solution to the insurance and liability tangle must be found quickly, so that the full availability of IUDs can be restored and the threat to other contraceptive methods ended.