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Intrauterine Devices: Malpractice and Product Liability

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2021

Guerry R. Thornton Jr.
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Extract

The use of a mechanical device is an ancient and crude form of contraception. Desert dwellers in ancient Africa placed stones in the uteruses of their camels to prevent conception during long treks across the Sahara. The metal intrauterine devices (IUDs) used in the late 1800s caused severe pelvic infections that, in the absence of antibiotics, often proved fatal. The first stainless steel and polyethelene IUDs were developed around 1960, and these attained a relatively reliable degree of safety. New compositions and materials decreased the risk of infection, and innovative devices could be inserted without dilating the cervix.

As mechanical means of contraception grew in popularity, pharmaceutical companies began to fight for a competitive edge, each touting the design or materials of its product as safer and niore efficient. By the mid-l970s, it is estimated, more than 15 million IUDs had been distributed throughout the world, many in developing nations.

Type
Article
Information
Law, Medicine and Healthcare , Volume 14 , Issue 1 , February 1986 , pp. 4 - 12
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics 1986

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