In the first nine months of 2025, the Reporting and Expertise Center for Implant Side Effects (MEBI) received 30 reports of problems removing the copper IUD Ballerine (IUB™ Ballerine® MIDI) from 26 women. Ultimately, 18 women required one or more surgeries. Therefore, MEBI advises general practitioners, midwives, and gynecologists to be alert when removing this copper IUD and to be aware of possible problems that may occur. Additionally, MEBI urges women and healthcare providers to report if they have experienced removal problems with copper IUDs. This can be done via www.rivm.nl/mebi
Relatively many reports about Ballerine in a short time
The reported removal problems include severe pain during removal of the copper IUD, the copper IUD getting stuck, and/or breaking of the threads. In most cases, these problems required surgery. Because MEBI has received relatively many reports about these removal problems with the Ballerine in a short period, MEBI now wants to specifically inform women and healthcare providers about this.
Broader picture of (health) complaints with copper IUDs
Health complaints, including removal problems, can occur with all types of copper IUDs. Today, MEBI also published a factsheet about all reports on copper IUDs received since its establishment in 2017. Up to and including September 30, 2025, MEBI received 837 reports about various (health) complaints with copper IUDs.
Importance of reporting to MEBI
To detect possible problems with implants early, it is important that people report as many and as quickly as possible (health) complaints they suspect are caused by an implant. With this information, MEBI can better map reported (health) complaints and detect possible problems earlier. Based on these analyses, MEBI informs citizens, healthcare providers, researchers, the government, and manufacturers about (health) complaints with implants. Reporting to MEBI is voluntary. Therefore, the number of reports MEBI receives does not reflect how often a side effect actually occurs.