ArticlePloS one2025
National assessment on the frequency of pain medication prescribed for intrauterine device insertion procedures within the Veterans Affairs Health Care System.
Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Use of Paracervical Blocks for Patients Who Undergo Intrauterine Device Insertion.JAMA network open · 2026Article
- Article
- A narrative review of the effectiveness of pain management strategies during intrauterine device insertion and endometrial biopsies.Women's health (London, England)Review
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe intrauterine device (IUD) is a highly effective form of long-acting reversible contraception, widely recognized for its convenience and efficacy. Despite its benefits, many patients report moderate to severe pain during and after their IUD insertion procedure. Furthermore, reports suggest significant variability in pain control medications, including no adequate pain medication. The aim of this evaluation was to assess the pharmaceutical pain medication types, proportions, and trends related to IUD insertion procedures within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
methodsIUD insertion procedures documented in the VA electronic health record were assessed from 1/1/2018 to 10/13/2023. Descriptive statistics described patient and facility characteristics while annual trends were assessed using linear regression.
resultsOut of the 28,717 procedures captured, only 11.4% had any form of prescribed pain medication identified. Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) were the most frequently prescribed pain medication category (8.3%), with ibuprofen being the most common pain medication overall (6.1%). Over the assessment period, there was an average annual increase of 0.52% (p = 0.038) of procedures with prescribed pain medication, increasing from 10.3% in 2018 to 13.3% in 2023.
conclusionsAlthough IUD insertion procedures have been seeing an increase in prescribed pain medication, the overall proportion remains disproportionality low relative to the pain experienced. Additionally, when pain interventions were initiated, they disproportionally utilized medication that have been shown to be ineffective. The intent of the work is that the information will help guide data driven pain medication strategies for patients undergoing IUD insertion procedures within the VHA.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.