Pediatricians recommend IUDs as first choice for birth control in teen girls
TORONTO — Teen girls who are considering contraception should look to intrauterine devices as their first-line choice, as they provide the greatest protection against an unplanned pregnancy, the Canadian Paediatric Society recommends.
The position statement, the CPS’s first on the issue, was set to be released Thursday during the organization’s annual meeting in Quebec City.
Known as IUDs or IUSs, the small and often T-shaped devices are placed inside the uterus and are more than 99 per cent effective in preventing pregnancy, compared to 91 per cent for birth-control pills and 82 per cent for condoms, the CPS says.
IUDs, or intrauterine devices, typically incorporate copper in their design, which is toxic to sperm; IUSs, or intrauterine systems, release a small amount of hormones over time. Both act continuously over the course of several years, but can be removed at any time by a health-care provider.