One year's experience with the Ypsilon-Y IUD.

In 1975, a two-year study designed to test the new Ypsilon IUD was initiated by the Family Planning Center (Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University), Debrecen, Hungary. From November 1975 through September 1976, Ypsilon-Y intrauterine devices (IUDs) were inserted in 300 women who had not previously used IUDs. The control group consisted of 300 Lippes Loop D users, all of whom were also first-time IUD users. The selection was made by randomization. After one year, the relevant rates (pregnancy, expulsion, medical removals) for the study group were: 3.9, 10.4 and 7.8, respectively. The corresponding values for the Lippes Loop D group were: 2.8, 5.7 and 7.8 per 100 women. Although the pregnancy rate for the control population was lower, the difference was not statistically significant. The frequency of expulsion in the Ypsilon-Y users was higher than that of the Lippes Loop D acceptors, but the difference was not statistically significant at the 0.05 level. The medical removal rates were almost the same in both groups. The total number of bleeding, pain and dysmenorrheic complaints in the two groups were also compared and showed that the Ypsilon-Y users did not report complaints as often as did the women wearing the Lippes Loop D. The difference was statistically significant. The relevant termination rates of the Ypsilon-Y were higher than those for the Lippes Loop D; however, the lower frequency of complaints in the study group suggests that the shape of the Y may be more suitable for the uterine cavity than the Loop D.