GPs are going to revise their guidelines for pain management when inserting an IUD

The Dutch Association of Medical Doctors (NHG) will revise the guidelines for pain relief when inserting an IUD. Earlier this week, the NHG indicated that there would be no changes, but after discussion in the media in the last few days, it has now been decided to review the guidelines.

“We cannot yet say specifically when the review will be completed and we cannot make any statements about the changes. But pain relief during IUD insertion is one of the subjects to be reviewed,” a NHG spokesperson told ANP news agency.

Women may experience severe pain when an IUD is inserted. Currently, only naproxen and paracetamol are recommended for pain. There was a lot of criticism about this in the spring, because this is not enough for everyone.

Several women shared their experiences of having an IUD inserted Cyclingonline community about the female body. 45-year-old Annemieke followed NHG’s advice and took naproxen beforehand. “Feet in the terrible bars and there you lie. I hardly got any instructions and the situation was very painful,” she said. “I had to lie on the bed for an hour because I couldn’t get up.

The IUD insertion caused 25-year-old Jo-Ann brief pain. “Unpleasant, but not nearly as bad as the hell my friends said.”

According to the Ava Foundation, the fact that the guidelines were not revised at first despite the negative experiences of women is because pain in women has become normal in the Netherlands. The Ava Foundation is the Dutch interest group for contraception and abortion.

In the US, advice on the procedure for IUD insertion was changed this month. The health service CDC is now telling doctors how to advise their patients about pain management. The service also recommends new pain relief options, such as special gels or sprays, which may reduce the pain.

The NHG says that in the last revision of the guidelines, in April 2023, there was insufficient evidence about the advantages and disadvantages of such local methods of pain relief. However, Dutch research also shows that the use of pain relief gel is a risk factor promising option Yes.