Study finds long-acting birth control use on the rise

The use of long-acting birth control is increasing in the United States, but not among the women most likely to benefit from it, a new study found.

The report from the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization, examined the prevalence of the intrauterine device (IUD) among American women. IUDs are placed in the uterus and can remain there, preventing pregnancy without intervention, for up to 10 years.

The Guttmacher study found that among U.S. women who use contraception, 8.5 percent relied on IUDs in 2009. This figure was up from 3.7 percent in 2007 and 2.4 percent in 2002.

But, the study warned, the use of IUDs and equivalent methods was highest among women already past the average age for giving birth to a child.

"The period during which women are at risk for unplanned pregnancy is much longer than it used to be," said study author Lawrence Finer, in a statement.

"Young women in particular, the group at highest risk of unintended pregnancy, could benefit greatly from these highly effective contraceptive methods."

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the IUD most commonly used in the United States reports a 1 percent or less pregnancy rate per year, making it one of the most effective forms of birth control.

Finer and his co-authors suggested that "public education efforts" highlight the safety and efficacy of IUDs, which fell out of favor after one brand was taken off the market for complicating pregnancies in the 1970s.

The study also noted that the Affordable Care Act requires most health insurance plans to cover IUDs with no patient co-pay starting next month.