Oct 30, 2024

Reducing IUD Pain

Alison Van Houten

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Aspivix Carevix

When it comes to women's pain? "Nobody cares," says Ikram Guerd, global marketing VP for medical device company Aspivix. It wasn't until this August that the CDC even officially urged ob-gyns to offer medication to people having IUDs inserted. It's painful in part due to the medieval-seeming tenaculum, the scissor-like instrument used to hook the cervix and pull it aside for procedures requiring uterine access (which also include biopsies, hysteroscopies, and fertility treatments). This sharp metal tool causes pain in nearly 90% of people it's used on. Carevix is a suction-based alternative that significantly reduced pain and bleeding during IUD insertion in a prototype trial the company ran. By making procedures safer, quicker, and more comfortable, Aspivix hopes to encourage more people to get the care they need promptly instead of delaying out of fear and potentially compounding health issues. In April, it announced that the FDA-cleared device would first be rolled out in Aspivix's home country, Switzerland, in partnership with the leading global IUD manufacturer, Bayer. U.S. commercialization is expected before the end of 2024.

Learn More at Aspivix Carevix

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