Evaluation of Intrauterine Devices: Ninth Progress Report of the Cooperative Statistical Program

Abstract

This report, by Christopher Tietze, MD, Associate Director of The Population Council’s Bio-Medical Division, and Sarah Lewit, Research Associate in the Bio-Medical Division, is perhaps best introduced by quoting from Louis M. Hellman, MD, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, State University of New York, College of Medicine:

From 1966 to 1969, the Advisory Committee on Obstetrics and Gynecology to the Food and Drug Administration studied and reported on the safety and efficacy and on other pertinent features of the oral contraceptives and intrauterine devices. On one hand, this task was made more difficult by the paucity of data pertaining to the hormonal contraceptives. On the other hand, the task was eased by an abundance of epidemiologic information about the intrauterine devices. These essential data were derived from the reports of the Cooperative Statistical Program. This project was established in 1963 by the National Committee on Maternal Health and was supported by The Population Council. Under the leadership of Dr. Christopher Tietze, a statistical study design was developed that permitted ongoing analyses of use, effectiveness, and disadvantages of most of the commonly used intrauterine devices. Available for the first time were data about a contraceptive method from its inception. The data were unique, and their value was fully proved by their widespread use. The informative report on intrauterine devices by the Advisory Committee to the Food and Drug Administration is but one example of these reports. The Ninth Report presents the cumulated results of the study, partiOnliney and periodicOnliney presented in the previous reports.