Women Who Use IUDs May Be At Lower Risk For Ovarian Cancer, Study Finds

BOSTON (CBS) – Nearly 14,000 American women will die from ovarian cancer this year, but a new study from the UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital finds that women who use IUDs may be at lower risk.

The symptoms of ovarian cancer can be mild or vague and there is no reliable screening test, so the diagnosis often isn't made until it's pretty advanced.

But a new study of thousands of women around the world found that women who use intrauterine devices, or IUDs, for contraception may be 15-32% less likely to develop ovarian cancer.

It's not clear for how long they need to use one or why they may be protective, but they say it may be due to the hormones released by some IUDs or a boost to the immune environment which helps ward off cancer.

IUDs are also associated with a lower risk of endometrial or uterine cancer.