PAGE 6

Ann Gibbon

“I didn't like the idea of tak-
ing the Pill every day, so I
thought I'd change to the IUD.
One day, I started having
pains in my stomach. All I
could do was put one foot in
front of the other, the pain was
so severe. My stomach was
like I was six months pregnant
that's how much infection was
in there.”’ ;
-Carleton student who suffer-
ed pelvic inflammatory dis-
ease from wearing an IUD.
After the birth control pill,
the inter-uterine device (IUD)
is considered the most effect-
ive form of contraceptive. Ac-
i Parent-
lhood, it prevents pregnancy
rom 90 to 98 percent of the’
ime. And it is popular. In
1980, one-half lion Cana-
ian women were using it to
revent pregnancy.
But despite its popularity,
e IUD is one of the most
ontroversial methods of birth
ontrol, causing serious side

ects and in some cases.
eath.

 

 
  
   
   
  
  
 

It is not known how the IUD,
a small device inserted into
the woman’s uterus by her
doctor, prevents pregnancy.
Dr. Mary O’Brien Carle-
ton’s Health Centre says it is
believed the IUD, because it is
a foreign body, causes inflam-
mation of the uterine walls
and prevents a fertilized egg
from implanting itself there.

What is certain, however, is
the IUD’s link to pelvic inflam-
matory disease (PID), a gen-
eral name for bacteria infec-
tion in the uterine area. Al-
though any sexually active wo-
man (especially one with sev-
eral partners) risks contacting
PID, Women with IUD’s face a
60 percent higher risk than
those who don’t.

According to Dianne Kinnon, :
Executive Director of Planned
Parenthood in Ottawa, ‘‘It’s a
proven fact that wearers are
more susceptible to bacteria.”’

Kinnon says the strings, or
tails of the IUD (present to
facilitate its removal) provide
a perfect meduim for bacteria
to grow in, then to travel up
the vagina to the uterus.

Once the infection reaches
the uterus it may spread to the
ovaries, fallopian tubes and

   

THE OTHER PRESS

other pelvic structures.

If the woman is lucky and
PID is detected early, antibiot-
ics may get rid of infection.
Other women are not so lucky
-some have been so severely
infected that they have requir-
ed a hysterectomy, an opera-
tion that removes the repro-.
ductive organs and leaves the
woman sterile.

Other women have died.

Women have not always
been adequatedly informed of
these risks. According to an
investigative journalist who
has done extensive research
on the subject of IUD’s,
‘‘There’s an important body of
information women haven’t
been given.”

Ann Pappert, who spoke to a
roup at an OPIRG Brown Ba
Seminar Wednesday, broad-
cast an episode of the show
The Fifth Estate, which she
produced.
The show, based on her re-

search, said that in the name |

of pushing birth control, the
risks of the IUD have been
downplayed by doctors and
population control organiza-
tions. For example, in the
1930’s the IUD was consided-
ered unsafe because of its bac-

 

teria-carrying tail, an n
off the market. But following
the population explosion of the
60’s, it was re-introduced-with
tails, but without proper pre-
testing.

Pappert says the Canadian:
government is also negligent
in informing Canadian women
about the hazards of the IUD.
For instance, the Dalkon
shield was voluntarily with-
drawn from the U.S. market
after it was implicated in 17
deaths six years ago.

But the Ministry of Health
and Welfare only recently ad-
vised Canadian women
against using it.
pepo says the issue is not
whether the IUD should be
ee from the Canadian
market. ‘‘I’m not trying to sa
the IUD is axial tani en
gerous and should not exist.

. What I’m trying to say is there

are an awful lot of problems
that most women who get an
IUD do not know about-are not
told about.’’

A person has the right to
have all health risks explained
to them,’’ agreed Kinnon of
Planned Parenthood.

This means the doctor should

‘inform the woman about not

WOMEN'S PAGE

IUD’s: The Inside Story

‘and was told by her

only the chance of contracting
PID, but also of the possibility
of expelling the device and
risking pregnancy, of exper-
iencing pain during inter-
course, or of having an ectopic
(other than uterine) preg-
nancy.

As well, women should know
that perforation of the uterus
has resulted from improper
insertion of the IUD, Kinnon
says.

Dr. Ian Tummon, an Ottawa
gynecologist, says women
should also be aware of the
warning signals of PID, such
as heavy cramping, increased
menstrual bleeding, bleeding
between periods and fever. '

Some doctors, however, do
not always listen to their
patients. Pappert says while
conducting her research she
talked to many women who
reported PID symtoms, but
were told by their physicians
that pain was to be expected
when wearing IUDs.

Pappert told of one woman,
who reported her symptoms
octor,
“‘Stop bothering me. Your’re
just a hysterical female.’’

“That woman is now ster-
ile,’’ Pappert said.

 

 

 

 

Editor:
Why is it that so many stories I
read in The Other Press trail

Mr. Hall:

off mid-sentence and just sort We don't know what you

of leave you wanting to know
Neal Hall,
The Vancouver Sun

The Editor.

 

Reprinted with permission of
the Ubyssey--

According to UBC board of
governors member David
McLean, president-elect
George Pedersen needs a
house refurbished with
$500,000 that the university
couldn’t put to better use in
order to establish better links
with the community and stu-
dents.

If McLean and the board are
really concerned about a bet-
ter link between UBC and the
real world I have a much more
effective proposal.

I suggest UBC simply pur-
chase George a large Winne-
bago motor home and have

- him live in several campus loc-

ations throughout the year. In
the summer and on various
weekends he and his family
could drive it around the pro-
vince.

What finer way could there
be to establish better links
than by having our president
‘camped out in B lot,the faculty
club parking lot or~ even
MacMillan Bloedels’ execu-
tive car park? And as well
saving literally hundreds of
thousands of dollars, which

could go into student job pro-
grams, bursaries, lab equip-
ment, etc. The board could
turn over the vacant presi-
dential palace for emergency
student housing.

The UBC flag would be flown
all across the province as the
president visited Spuzzum and
other localities, explaining
that UBC really isn’t an elitist
institution that wastes great
sums of money on needless
frills in times of economic
hardship.

Instead of being kicked
around for the umpteenth time
in the press, UBC could. be
proud of its ingenuity and
sound financial management
for a change.

Since McLean also suggested:
that students help pay for the:
costs of Pedersen’s new
accommodations I’m willing to.
donate generously. If the
board will cancel their current
plans and put George in the
Winnebago driver’s seat in-
stead, I'll gladly buy the first,

of gas. And I won’t
even stay for tea.
Bill Tieleman
graduate student
political science

 

(OTHER LETTERS )—

 

Would Another Paper be Better

I am not an Other Presser,
but I am quite close with one
who’s on the staff. This how-
ever does not influence my
views on the paper in any way.

Ihave been down at a ‘‘prod-.

duction’ and seen the ‘‘Other
Pressers”’ in action, and I feel
they’re really doing their best
in putting out the best paper
possible.(Remember The Oth-
er Press is a college paper,and

lhe, ‘E. that

they are students, just like
you.) I have seen one in part-
icular, who is trying his damn-
edest to inform the students
(admittedly mostly about what
he feels is important) but he is
still trying to relay information
to the best of his ability.

I was there one night with
him and to my amazement he
was actually working, (putting
his heart and soul into it). I

UP

genda items and

think that most of you (like I .
once did) don’t really realize
how much time and effort

these people are putting forth

to produce a reasonably good

paper for you! ;

Do you really think that if you
got rid of the staff or the paper
in general, that the one replac-
ing it would be any better?
Signed a converted reader
Andrea Graf

i

motions for the Other Publications Society Annual

General Meeting (on March 31

1983 12:00 pm till

2:00 pm in the lower Cafeteria) MUST be officially
placed on the agenda, in writing, one week prior to

the AGM by 4:00 pm March21

. This is to allow for

the Society to prepare properly for the AGM and to
allow sufficient time for all items to be discussed
during the meeting. You MUST be a voting member.
of the Society in order to place items on the agenda
and to vote at the AGM. To be a voting member you
have to sign the Society’s book available in the Other
Press room 2305 during business hours. According to
our constitution, Student Society Executive and non-
students of Douglas College (not deemed honorary
members), cannot be members of the Other Public-

ations Society.

ee ee Tee. ee eee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee

‘MARCH 16, 1983