Kaitlin Sullivan is a health and science journalist based in Colorado. She's been part of multiple award-winning investigations into health topics including the international medical device industry and maternal mortality in New York City.Nick Blackmer is a librarian, fact-checker, and researcher with more than 20 years of experience in consumer-facing health and wellness content.
Before an IUD is inserted, healthcare providers typically grasp the cervix with a long scissor-like tool called a tenaculum, which experts say can puncture the cervix and spur painful uterine contractions. The new device, called Carevix, provides an alternative to the tenaculum by using suction to grasp the cervix. This “eliminates unnecessary pain and bleeding,”
About 76% of healthcare providers reported successfully using Carevix at first, and 89% said they succeeded after using it in 10 procedures.For another study published last July, led by Yaron and funded by Aspivix, researchers randomly assigned a hundred women eligible for IUD insertion to have the procedure using either the suction device or a tenaculum. Overall, participants whose procedures included suction reported less pain than those in the other group.
Carevix is also a disposable device, which would contribute to the already sizable problem of healthcare waste, Bayer added.