Pearls for practice
As this study showed, self-administered lidocaine vaginal gel did not alter the primary outcome (pain with IUD placement), but the reduced need for cervical dilation is a promising finding and warrants additional study.
Tip. Interestingly, the placebo-treated women experienced pain intensity with cervical tenaculum placement similar to that associated with IUD placement. This finding illuminates the fact that IUD placement is not the only action that can produce pain. For this reason, I use a finer, single-tooth tenaculum designed for use with sonohysterograms (Goldstein Grasp Cervical Stabilizer).2 This instrument appears to cause less pain and bleeding than conventional tenacula.
Related article:
How to identify and localize IUDs on ultrasound
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