RESUMO
UNLABELLED: Due high rates of unplanned pregnancy and unsafe abortion in young women in Latin America intrauterine contraception, by its great contraceptive efficacy, should be offered by the public services of health in a more generalized way. However, some negative prejudices prevail over the perception of its benefits. The aim of this article was to explore the most relevant myths around this contraceptive method in Latin America and make a review of the literature to allay the fears of their use by young and nulliparous women. METHODS: Descriptive and retrospective study. Search for information in Embase and PubMed with emphasis on clinical randomized studies, studies of cases and controls, meta-analyses and systematic reviews which show risks and benefits of intrauterine contraception. RESULTS: Evidence shows that intrauterine contraception has few contraindications for young women and nulliparous; for this reason it must be as an effective public health strategy to reduce unplanned pregnancies and unsafe abortions. CONCLUSIONS: We identified the major barriers to the use of intrauterine contraception in Latin America and evidence for each one of them in the bibliography. Doctors of first contact in health systems should now recognize that intrauterine contraception is safe and effective.