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Abstract ntrauterine devices (IUDs) are highly effective, longterm methods of contraception; and it is also very cost-effective. It is one of the most popular methods of contraception being used by more than 80 million women worldwide, and its effectiveness rivals that of tubal sterilization. However, there are concerns about increased risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and subsequent complications, such as infertility and ectopic pregnancy, among the IUD users. Some researchers have speculated that the presence of an IUD in the uterus may increase host susceptibility to infection, thus increasing the incidence of PID infections. Indeed, IUDs are considered to cause PIDIndeed, IUDs are considered to cause PID by pushing vaginal and cervical bacteria into the uterus along the tail of the device. Micro-organisms originating from the normal cervico-vaginal flora then colonize these devices and form biofilms consisting of layers of host cells and bacteria/fungi embedded within a matrix material. The main component of the biofilm produced by the bacteria and/or fungi is anexopolysaccharide layer, which is the pivotal factor responsible for the behaviour of biomaterial centered infection. The biofilm bacteria are usually resistant to attack by antimicrobial agents and host phagocytes. This is one reason why infections caused by these micro-organisms are hard to treat without removal of the devices.The aim of the present study is to detect the presence of microbial biofilms on copper intrauterine devices, to characterize the microorganisms associated with these biofilms and to correlate these finding with patient symptoms and microbiological study of the vagina. In the present study the sample size consisted of 50 women who want to remove IUD randomly selected and we included only married, parous women, who were only in a stable long term relationship. Moreover, they were sharing nearly the same personal hygiene and sexual behavior; so, we can presume that they were probably at allow risk for sexually transmitted diseases. |