An Odd Anecdote

Long ago when I was a medical student, a woman came to our gynecology clinic to have an IUD removed.

Five years earlier, when abortions were still illegal, she had had an abortion. For some reason, the woman believed that IUDs were also illegal. The abortionist said that he would insert an IUD for an extra $180, and she agreed.

When the resident looked inside, he didn’t see a string hanging out of her cervix. All IUDs have this string, so they can be easily removed. He ordered an X-ray. It showed a bobby pin.

The resident removed it in the operating room, rusty but intact. It had served her well for five years.