Because of inconsistent findings among case-control studies on the relationship between
IUD use and the risk of ectopic pregnancy, a meta-analysis of published literature was
conducted. From 1977 through 1994, 19 publications regarding 16 studies of ectopic
pregnancy and IUD use were found by MEDLINE and manual search. The odds ratios (ORs)
of ectopic pregnancy with current and past IUD use in each study were pooled. A quality
score system was developed to assess each study. Funnel plot was used to assess potential …

Since the 1960s, numerous studies have been performed on the relationship between
intrauterine device (IUD) use and the risk of ectopic pregnancy. Many studies in the late
1960s through the early 1980s, especially correlational studies based on time trends,
suggested that increased IUD use contributed to the increasing incidence of ectopic
pregnancy. However, later papers indicated that the use of an IUD was not associated with
an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy. The results of various case-control studies varied …