Coil cuts cervical risk by 36 per cent

WOMEN who use the contraceptive coil are 36 per cent less likely to develop cervical cancer, a major study shows.

Scientists last night said the intrauterine devices ‘quietly protect’ against the disease, an unexpected result they said was ‘stunning’.

NHS bosses are already promoting the devices, known as IUDs, as one of the most reliable forms of contraception. They may also trigger an immune response that fights off human papillomavirus infections, the main cause of the cancer. Dr Victoria Cortessis, of the University of Southern California, and her team combined the results from 16 previous studies, providing data from more than 12,000 women worldwide. She said: ‘The pattern we found was stunning. It was not subtle at all. The possibility that a woman could experience some help with cancer control while making contraception decisions could be very, very impactful.’

Cervical cancer affects 3,200 women a year in Britain and kills about 900.