A Narrative Review Exploring the Associations Between Emphasis on Pain Education in Medical Curricula and Discrepancies Associated with Pain Management Related to IUD Insertions

Increasing use of intrauterine devices (IUDs) makes effective pain management essential for high-quality care. However, gaps between patient and clinician pain perceptions, along with limited training in managing IUD-related acute pain, contribute to barriers in IUD use and patient–provider mistrust. This narrative review aims at (1) summarizing current IUD-related pain management, (2) evaluating the emphasis on pain education and management, including IUD insertion pain, in medical education, and (3) examining how gaps in pain education and management may affect clinicians’ preparedness to manage patients’ IUD-related pain. Relevant literature was identified through keyword searches across major databases and national organizations. Studies on IUD pain management approaches and pain education in undergraduate medical education (UME), graduate medical education (GME), and residency programs were included. The results section outlines the current IUD insertion pain-management options available and their limitations, alongside evidence of insufficient emphasis on pain education and its management in medical school and residency training. In conclusion, the study indicates that, although all pain-management approaches reduce perceived IUD-related pain, significant gaps in national guidelines, clinician–patient pain-perception non-alignment, and pain-education across UME and GME may be contributary to inconsistent clinical practices. A multi-pronged approach that includes strengthening pain-education throughout medical training could be one way to reduce these disparities by improving clinicians’ competence to manage pain effectively.