The effects of intrauterine devices on anti-Mullerian hormone levels—a mini-review

Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are contraceptive devices utilized by many women, especially those who struggle with the use of oral contraceptives. As the age of childbearing rises, it is crucial to have reliable assessments of ovarian reserve, such as anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels. In efforts to provide clinicians with optimal knowledge in the evaluation of fertility, this review investigates the relationship between IUDs and AMH levels. A detailed search of PubMed articles was conducted with six relevant articles discovered. Hormonal IUDs have been shown to either decrease or have no significant impact on AMH levels, while copper IUDs consistently demonstrated no significant effect on AMH levels across all studies. When considering those with heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), the implementation of hormonal IUDs was associated with a significant increase in AMH levels compared to the cohort’s initial values, as well as the controls. The duration of IUD usage was also found to be positively correlated with AMH levels in some studies. Due to the sparsity of studies investigating this correlation, it is difficult to conclude any definitive findings. Future studies should consider differentiating types of hormonal IUDs when studying AMH levels, as well as diversifying the population under investigation to ensure the results are more generalizable. Subpopulations, such as patients with HMB, should continue to be examined as IUDs may impact AMH levels differently than what is typically seen in patients using IUDs exclusively for contraception.