Genito-urinary symptoms and signs in women using different contraceptive methods.

Reports on a study of the association of genitourinary symptoms and signs with contraceptive methods in 1498 women attending a family planning clinic. Methods evaluated include the pill IUD diaphragm and sheath. Participating women were either new patients or had not attended in the previous 6 months. Mean age was 27 years. Allowing for the effect of other variables troublesome vaginal discharge backache postcoital blood spotting dyspareunia and frequency of micturation were commoner among users of IUDs than among others. Quantity and consistency of vaginal discharge were abnormal in a higher proportion of IUD users but not at statistically significant levels. Cervical erosion was significantly commoner in women using the contraceptive pill than in others and 1 in 5 of the women with cervical erosion also complained of troublesome vaginal discharge.