Ipas announces next generation of a life-saving reproductive-health technology

Ipas is pleased to introduce the Ipas MVA Plus™ aspirator, an updated and innovative design of the classic manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) technology for uterine evacuation. Its varied uses include treatment of incomplete abortion and first-trimester abortion or menstrual regulation.

"For more than 30 years, use of MVA has helped increase access to life-saving reproductive-health care for millions of women around the world," said Ipas President Elizabeth Maguire. "The updated aspirator offers even more advantages, especially at the primary-care level, and will give women more and better options for reproductive-health care."

Ipas pioneered the MVA technology in 1973 and, with support from donors, distributes it worldwide in both developed and developing countries. While functionally equivalent to the previous version, the updated design offers numerous improvements including greater ease of use, due to its more ergonomic design, and greater durability and ease of cleaning, thanks to use of high-quality, state-of-the-art materials.

"The new aspirator is a breakthrough for MVA technology because of its ability to tolerate heat," said Maguire. "Unlike other instruments available, it can be processed by all standard methods, including steam autoclave and boiling. Health-care workers will now be able to clean and maintain MVA instruments the same way they do most other medical equipment."

The Ipas MVA Plus™ aspirator combines with Ipas EasyGrip® cannulae or flexible Karman cannulae for an MVA system that is a simple, effective and affordable method of uterine evacuation for treatment of incomplete abortion, first-trimester abortion, menstrual regulation and other uses. Incomplete abortion can include a spontaneous or septic abortion. An additional use of the aspirator is for endometrial biopsy for various diagnostic purposes, including cancer and infertility screening. Ipas will shortly have available a 3mm cannula to facilitate this procedure.

The World Health Organization recommends vacuum aspiration and medication abortion as preferred methods of uterine evacuation. More than 25 years of clinical research in multiple countries has shown vacuum aspiration for uterine evacuation to be safer than, and as effective as sharp curettage, a commonly used method of uterine evacuation that is also known as dilatation and curettage, or D&C.

Manual vacuum aspiration, or MVA, is a low-cost, portable, effective vacuum-aspiration technique with particular benefits for low-resource settings. Offering MVA in outpatient settings has been shown to reduce significantly the cost and length of stay related to the uterine evacuation procedure, when compared to sharp curettage performed in an operating theatre.

Ipas is an international nonprofit organization that has worked for more than 30 years to end the global problem of unsafe abortion and to provide women safe and effective options for abortion and postabortion care.

• Ipas EasyGrip® Cannulae

For more information, contact:
Kirsten Sherk
Senior Associate, Media Relations
e-mail: sherkk@ipas.org
phone: 919.960.5612
fax: 919.929.0258