Evolution of the IUD.

Ancient history relates the tale of Arabs putting stones into the uterus of a camel to prevent the camel from getting pregnant. The first recorded modern medical use of similar devices in people was during the 1920s, when Ernest Grafenberg of Germany placed rings of silk, and later silver, within the uterus of his female patients to prevent pregnancy. The procedure caused excessive bleeding and infections, and Grafenberg was forced to give up on the devices when he moved his practice to the United States. The Japanese and Israelis subsequently used such methods for birth control with greater success. The intrauterine device (IUD) gained wider acceptance in the early 1960s, when American medical researchers used new materials to develop new products. The new IUDs were made of plastic, nylon, or stainless steel. After insertion by a physician, they could be left for years. Pregnancy prevention with IUDs was...