A study has found that using intrauterine devices, IUDs, in girls and young women with disabilities can stop their periods or at least help them manage the symptoms.
Young women with intellectual or developmental disabilities can find puberty and the menstrual cycle alarming, says Dr. Beth Schwartz in a news release about her study. She also found IUDs do not typically come to mind for pediatric providers.
The girls with special needs in her study ranged in age from 9 to 22. Results found 65 percent reported less bleeding after a year and as many as 59 percent reported no bleeding.
“Women with disabilities and their families request help managing menarche for reasons of hygiene, mood issues, exacerbation of other medical issues, abnormal bleeding and pregnancy prevention,” Schwartz said in the release. “We hope this data will help reassure physicians that this is a viable option.”
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This article was featured in Chicago Parent’s March/April 2021 magazine.
