Analgesia in Intrauterine Device Insertion
Date of Award
Spring 2023
Degree Name
Master of Medical Science (Physician Assistant)
Department
Physician Assistant; College of Health Sciences
First Advisor
Lisa Akselrad
Abstract
Several articles have been published on potential analgesia techniques in intrauterine device insertions; however, none have explored the connection between the lack of treatment of women’s pain and the biases in medicine that have existed for hundreds of years. This paper explores why there has not been any official guidelines for analgesia, as well as what clinicians can do to alter these unequal practices, starting with pain control in this widely-performed gynecologic procedure. The article delves into current provider objections to the practice, sociological reasons for trivializing women’s pain, and recent studies that showcase the under treatment of women’s pain in multiple fields of medicine. Furthermore, methods of pain control for intrauterine device insertion are discussed, with topical Lidocaine 2.5%/Prilocaine 2.5% cream possessing the most evidence of efficacy in clinical trials. With this information, clinicians may better recognize the disparities in treatment between women and men and actively change their practices to account for it.
Recommended Citation
Swift, Emma, "Analgesia in Intrauterine Device Insertion" (2023). Capstone Showcase. 84.
https://scholarworks.arcadia.edu/showcase/2023/pa/84
Analgesia in Intrauterine Device Insertion
Several articles have been published on potential analgesia techniques in intrauterine device insertions; however, none have explored the connection between the lack of treatment of women’s pain and the biases in medicine that have existed for hundreds of years. This paper explores why there has not been any official guidelines for analgesia, as well as what clinicians can do to alter these unequal practices, starting with pain control in this widely-performed gynecologic procedure. The article delves into current provider objections to the practice, sociological reasons for trivializing women’s pain, and recent studies that showcase the under treatment of women’s pain in multiple fields of medicine. Furthermore, methods of pain control for intrauterine device insertion are discussed, with topical Lidocaine 2.5%/Prilocaine 2.5% cream possessing the most evidence of efficacy in clinical trials. With this information, clinicians may better recognize the disparities in treatment between women and men and actively change their practices to account for it.