Hormone releasing intrauterine devices or hormonal IUDs are contraceptive devices placed in a woman’s uterus to prevent pregnancy by continuously releasing a low dose of certain hormones. Jouri Valter Tapani Luukkainen, a medical researcher at the University of Helsinki, introduced the first hormonal IUD in 1976. Luukkainen’s IUD was a plastic device shaped like a capital T. The horizontal shafts of the IUD held a reservoir of the hormone Levonorgestrel that the IUD slowly released at a constant rate over the IUD’s lifetime, allowing the hormonal IUD to remain effective for five to seven years. Women can use hormonal IUDs for long term contraception that requires no maintenance on the part of the user. The hormonal IUD provides women an option for reliable long-term birth control that does not require maintenance to remain effective.
Details
- Hormone Releasing Intrauterine Devices
- Hormonal IUD
- Higginbotham, Victoria (Author)
- Dhein, Kelle (Editor)
- Arizona State University. School of Life Sciences. Center for Biology and Society. Embryo Project Encyclopedia. (Publisher)
- Arizona Board of Regents (Publisher)
- Technology
- Intrauterine contraceptives
- Levonorgestrel intrauterine contraceptives
- Copper intrauterine contraceptives
- Products liability--Contraceptive drug implants
- Dalkon Shield (Intrauterine contraceptive)
- Contraceptives
- Contraception--Failures
- Contraceptives industry
- Intrauterine contraceptives industry
- Intrauterine contraceptives, Medicated
- Intrauterine contraceptives--Law and legislation
- Intrauterine contraceptives--Mechanism of action
- Technologies