IUDs may cut risk of cervical cancer by a third, study indicates

More work is needed to understand how the contraceptive device works to protect against cancer, but researchers say discovery could be "very impactful"

Women who use intrauterine contraceptive devices may also be cutting their chances of getting cervical cancer, according to a new study.

Research from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California analysed data from several observational studies involving more than 12,000 women worldwide. The results, published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, showed that in women who used an intrauterine device (IUD) the incidence of cervical cancer was a third lower.