Health
Pain relief for IUD insertion: CDC updates its recommended guidance to help women
Having an IUD (intrauterine device) inserted for birth control is known to be potentially painful.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now recommending pain management protocols for the procedure.
Women on social media have documented their discomfort, with some TikTok users posting videos of themselves in visible pain while lying on a doctor’s table.
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One user, Sarah Warren, shared that she took ibuprofen an hour before her appointment as suggested by her doctor, but that the procedure was still painful.
“I almost passed out, not going to lie,” she said. “There needs to be better pain management for IUD insertion.”
“There needs to be better pain management for IUD insertion,” wrote one woman (not pictured) on social media. (iStock)
In a 2014 study published in the journal Contraception, health care providers were found to underestimate patients’ pain during IUD insertion.
On a 100-mm pain scale, patients in the study ranked their maximum pain at 64.8 mm, while providers rated it at 35.3 mm.
New guidance for pain relief
Following a persistent call for change from patients and doctors, the CDC released new guidance in its U.S. Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use, 2024.
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The agency suggested that all patients should be counseled on the potential pain before the appointment, as well as on the risks, benefits and alternative options for pain management.
“When considering patient pain, it is important to recognize that the experience of pain is individualized and might be influenced by previous experiences, including trauma and mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety,” the guidance reads.
The IUD is inserted through the opening of the cervix and into the uterus. (iStock)
Evidence suggests that using lidocaine as a local anesthetic — or using a topical gel, cream or spray — could help reduce patient pain, according to the agency.
The notice also listed misoprostol as a medication used by some providers to help soften the cervix before IUD insertion.
The CDC also mentioned a variety of alternative options, like NSAIDs, smooth muscle relaxants and analgesics, although the evidence for pain reduction is limited.
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Dr. Meleen Chuang, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at NYU Langone Hospital Brooklyn, reflected on this guidance in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.
“Many OB/GYNs have already been doing these interventions for years,” she said. “It is welcoming to see the CDC reflect the updates for guidance in accordance to our care delivery.”
“It is welcoming to see the CDC reflect the updates for guidance in accordance to our care delivery,” said one OB/GYN (not pictured). (iStock)
Using pain relief methods like lidocaine to numb the cervix or taking medications such as acetaminophen and NSAIDs can help with reducing this discomfort, according to Chuang.
Other non-invasive pain relief methods can include using a heating pad on the patient’s belly, the doctor said.
In addition to pain management, Chuang said her patients often find comfort in being “talked through” the procedure by their doctors.
Taking medications like acetaminophen and other NSAIDs can help with reducing IUD insertion discomfort, according to an OB/GYN. (iStock)
“The communication of what to expect before and during the procedure helps with the overall experience and alleviates any anxieties,” she said.
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“These are very easy things we commonly do for patients, as well as being fast/efficient in placing the IUDS, [to] make the experience much more acceptable.”
“The procedure for placement for IUD should take no more than two to three minutes in experienced hands,” an OB/GYN said. (iStock)
“We want what is best for our patients, and if there is fear or concern [about] pain … we are obligated to help our patients feel supported and at ease,” Chuang added.
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IUDs are more than 99% effective in preventing pregnancy, according to Yale Medicine.
In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, a CDC spokesperson said, “Health care providers can use this guidance to support person-centered contraceptive counseling and remove unnecessary medical barriers to accessing and using contraception.”
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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
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The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
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After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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