Performance of copper intrauterine devices when inserted after an expulsion.

A total of 124 women who re-inserted a TCu-200B intrauterine device (IUD) following an expulsion were followed up for 1 year after the IUD re-insertion. The cumulative expulsion rate at 6 months was 21.7 and 31.4 per 100 women at the end of the first year. Women who expelled the first IUD within the first 3 months of use had a significantly higher expulsion rate with the second IUD. Our conclusion is that women who expelled a copper IUD are at a significantly higher risk of expelling the re-inserted IUD than the first IUD. Health workers must also be informed about the high probability of another expulsion when re-inserting an IUD after an expulsion.