The IUD is an effective, long-acting contraceptive, but fear of pain during insertion makes many women choose not to have one inserted. Currently, IUDs are inserted without local anesthesia or, in some cases, with local anesthesia administered via an injection into the tissue around the cervix—an injection that could be experienced as painful.
In the new randomized study, researchers investigated whether a small amount of local anesthetic, introduced into the uterus via a thin plastic catheter a couple of minutes before the procedure, could make the procedure less painful.