IUD's are still low risk:

Remember, nothing is risk free.

An article published this week in the New York Times outlined the slight increase in risk in breast cancer in women using a progesterone containing IUD. Excerpt below, with full link following:

Those who used levonorgestrel IUDs had a 40 percent higher chance of developing breast cancer. For women in their 30s in the United States, that would take the risk of breast cancer from about 1 in 204 to about 1.4 in 204. It’s about the same increase in breast cancer risk that has been shown with oral contraceptive pills.

Even with that increased risk, breast cancer remains rare among women under 50, and extremely rare for women under 30.

Dr. Daniel Breitkopf, the chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said that when he discusses the risks of hormonal contraceptives, he makes this clear. “The way I talk to patients about that is, if I tell you I’m going to double your chances of winning the lottery, you’re not going to go out and buy a lottery ticket — because the chances of winning are still very, very low.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/16/well/iud-breast-cancer-mirena-skyla.html?ogrp=dpl&unlocked_article_code=1.UE4.X-lj.uodLkukktpzU&smid=url-share

In the IUD user group, there were an additional 14 breast cancer cases per 10,000 women over five years.

The study was based in Denmark, and the increase in risk is similar to what was seen in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study of hormone replacement in menopausal women.

When an increased risk of 20-60% is reported, it seems sensational. That is attention grabbing--the stuff of headlines. As Dr. Breitkopf stated above, you have to look at the baseline risk. A 100% increase in risk from 1/1000 to 2/1000 is still less than a 1% total risk. Rare things are still rare, even when the risk increases.

Should you panic and freak out if you have a hormonal IUD? No. It's still a good choice for many women. The most important thing is to stay up to date on your breast cancer screening. Talk to your doctor.

And thank you to the Times for the use of this article.