Non-pharmacologic techniques for interval intrauterine device placement: a systematic review.

objectiveTo systematically review the evidence on the effectiveness of non-pharmacologic techniques for interval intrauterine device (IUD) placement.

methodsWe searched various databases from database inception to 15 December 2023 for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) examining non-pharmacologic techniques for IUD placement compared with placebo or pharmacologic techniques. Outcomes of interest were pain experienced with IUD placement, provider ease of placement, need for adjunctive placement measures, placement success, patient satisfaction, side effects and adverse events. We extracted data from included articles, assessed risk of bias, and determined certainty of evidence for all outcomes.

resultsEleven RCTs met the inclusion criteria, examining 10 different non-pharmacologic techniques. The risk of bias was high in 10 trials and low in 1 trial. Of 11 RCTs that examined patient pain, two found reduced pain with the Valsalva breathing technique (where women inhaled deeply and held their breath during IUD placement), without tenaculum placement compared with routine care (i.e., use of a tenaculum) (OR 0.04; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.15) or acupuncture compared with routine care (mean difference -1.88; 95% CI -2.72 to -1.04). None of the four trials that assessed ease of IUD placement found differences between study groups. Across nine RCTs, most had high rates of placement success. One study each examined need for cervical dilation and patient satisfaction; the findings were similar between study groups. Overall, few side effects and no adverse events were reported across the studies.

conclusionsNon-pharmacologic techniques like the Valsalva manoeuvre and acupuncture may reduce patient pain with IUD placement (certainty of evidence ranging from moderate to low). However, evidence is limited, and more high-quality trials with larger sample sizes are needed. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42024507788.