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Dangers of
IUD Use
W
omen who have used
intrauterine devices
(IUDs) for birth control may
have increased their risk of
becoming infertile by more
than two and a hall times. ·
according lo two studies by
the U.S. National lnstitute of
Child Health and Human
Development. The studies,
based in Boston and
Seattle, tested childless
Young People
Postpone
Marriage
F
ewer young people are
marrying today, and
!hose who marry are waiting
longer before doing so ,
according to statistics from
Britain, the Netherlands and
South Africa.
The popularity of marriage
among young people in
Britain dropped lo an aiH ime
low last year. says the Office
of Population Censuses and
Surveys.
The number of young
people in Britain marrying
during their leen years fell by
hall during the past decade
and by more than 10 percent
in 1984 alone. Ten years
ago, one in three British girls
married before the age of
20; last year only one in five
did so. Fewer bachelors are
marrying befare the age of
25.
November/ Oecember 1985
women with tubal infertility,
and new mothers.
The studies directly
linked , for the first time, use
of IUDs with pelvic
inflammatory disease, one
cause of infertility. Some
88,000 American women
rendered infertile by the
disease may have been
affected because they used
IUDs.
lntrauterine devices are
small plastic or
copper-wrapped plastic
devices inserted by a doctor
Some 344,000 marriages
took place in Britain in 1984,
an increase of .5 percent
over 1983; the 1983 figure
was the lowest since 1959.
But the slight increase in
1984 was entirely accounted
for by remarriages of
divorced people.
The average age of Dutch
Premarital Sex
OK, Say Most
Americans
For the first time in the almos!
two decades lhe tapie has
been studied, says
The Ga/lup
Report,
a majority of U.S.
adults consider premarital sex
acceptable. The following
chart shows the trend during
the last 16 years:
into the uterus. Their
popularity stems from their
convenience (once inserted,
they need not be removed
for up lo five years) and
effectiveness (95 percenl).
IUDs are used by about 2.2
million American women .
Dr. Daniel Cramer,
director of the Boston study,
stressed that this "doesn't
mean that all women who
have used the IUD are going
lo become inferlile. The
majorily of women can use
the IUD without a problem."
Other studies have linked
certain brands of IUDs with
complications such as
greatly increased menstrual
bleeding , punctures of the
uterus, increased incidence
of ectopic (tubal)
pregnancies and, in the
case of accidental
pregnancy, spontaneous
men marrying for the first
time was 25.3 in 1978; in
1983, 26. The average ages
for women were 23 in 1978
and 23 .7 in 1983, reports
the Central Bureau of
Statistics.
In South Africa, 7,797 girls
under 20 married in 1982,
compared with 9,296 in
1973. Some 975 men under
age 20 married in 1982; in
1973 the figure was 2,237.
Meanwhile, the number of
second-trimester abortions
(greatly increasing risks of
death lo the mother) or
premature or stillbirths.
In addition to safety risks,
sorne regard the IUD as an
abortion device, since it
prevents implantation of an
already fertilized ovum into
the uterine wall. •
divorces in South Africa
nearly doubled in 10 years:
16,660 people divorced in
1983. 8,890 in 1973.
Many young people are
staying home longer
because of uncertain
economic conditions. The
acceptance of living together
instead of marrying, and the
desire to pursue other
personal interests befare
marriage, are other
factors. •
Is Premarital Sex Acceptable?
"No
Year
"No"
"Yes"
Opinion"
1969
68%
21%
11%
1973
48
43
9
1985
39
52
9
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