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3Daughters redesigns IUD to eliminate insertion pain for women.
For decades, women seeking long-acting birth control have endured a painful and outdated process: IUD insertion. Despite growing demand for non-hormonal birth control, the devices available today—primarily T-shaped, plastic-framed IUDs—haven't evolved much in over 30 years. Insertion pain is so common that it's often dismissed as routine, even though women regularly faint, vomit, or scream during the procedure.
Now, 3Daughters is challenging that status quo with a bold redesign of the IUD that centers on comfort, science, and empathy.
IUDs are among the most effective forms of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), but the experience of getting one is often traumatic. Only 5.36% of IUD insertions include any form of medication for pain or anxiety, according to a recent study. That's despite widespread social media reports—videos of women crying, screaming, or passing out in the doctor's office, which have gone viral in recent years.
While the CDC updated its clinical guidance in 2023 to urge doctors to take IUD pain more seriously, the clinical reality has changed little. 'The pain can be excruciating, but many women aren't warned,' said Kelsey Craig, a 24-year-old IUD user in Massachusetts. 'I was told it would feel like a cramp. I nearly passed out.'
And yet, demand for IUDs continues to rise. The global contraceptive market, valued at $31 billion in 2024, is projected to reach $44 billion by 2030, with IUDs accounting for over $6.5 billion in 2024 and expected to reach $8 billion by 2030. That growth underscores a frustrating contradiction: Women are choosing these devices despite the pain because hormonal alternatives may be less desirable or because the IUD offers unmatched convenience.
Mary Beth Cicero, CEO and cofounder at 3Daughters
3Daughters is developing a frameless, nonhormonal IUD designed to eliminate insertion pain and modernize long-acting contraception.
When Mary Beth Cicero, a veteran of the pharmaceutical industry, first learned of a magnetic IUD invented by a veterinary specialist for horses, she saw an opening to do something radically better for women. She launched 3Daughters in 2021 with a vision to reengineer the IUD to meet the needs and anatomy of women better, starting with pain reduction.
The company's solution: a frameless, magnetic, self-assembling IUD that conforms to the uterus, eliminating the rigid arms and dangling strings of the T-shaped models. It's bendable. The 2-millimeter inserter is designed to reduce trauma during placement, drawing inspiration from embryo-transfer catheters used in in vitro fertilization (IVF). 'IUD pain is criminal,' said Cicero. 'We're not just offering a different shape—we're removing the steps that cause pain.'
The new system is also non-hormonal, using copper as the active ingredient—a material long recognized by the FDA for its safety and efficacy. That regulatory history allowed 3Daughters to pursue a 505(b)(2) FDA approval pathway—a faster track for products that build on already-approved ingredients.
'As an early investor in 3Daughters, we've had the privilege of watching them pursue a bold, overdue vision for women's health—led by empathy, guided by science,' explains Thomas Osha, executive vice president at Wexford Science & Technology. 'Their ground-breaking approach and frameless uterine delivery platform address the pain and barriers associated with traditional IUD insertion.'
Cicero has had to fight hard to get here, and not just on the product side. Early fundraising was challenging, especially when many male investors didn't believe IUD insertion pain was a real problem. 'One even suggested spraying a little lidocaine,' she recalled.
Still, Cicero persisted. Drawing on her years of experience in marketing, business development, and regulatory strategy, she wrote grant proposals, pitched investors, and recruited a high-performance team. In under four years, she secured $6.5 million in funding, developed a working prototype, and held multiple meetings with the FDA. 'I've cried in my soup, but I got back up,' she said. 'Every 'no' is fuel to find the next 'yes'.'
That resilience has paid off. Last year, 3Daughters was awarded an NIH grant to complete a preclinical trial. Unfortunately, layoffs at NIH have slowed the start of the study. The company has also filed for additional SBIR grants to support Phase 1 trials. Cicero's goal is to partner with a major player to scale distribution eventually.
There's momentum behind 3Daughters—and the broader women's health movement as well. Investors like the Argosy Foundation see the company as a signal of what's possible when innovation centers the patient, not just the product. 'We believe in the transformative potential of 3Daughters' novel integrated IUD system,' said Emily Van Dunk, Argosy's executive director. 'It has the potential to make a significant impact for women.'
With clinical trials on the horizon and interest building, 3Daughters isn't just bringing a new IUD to market—it's challenging long-held assumptions about what women should tolerate. 'Women deserve options that work with their bodies, not against them,' said Cicero.
For a generation of women who've been told to 'grin and bear' IUD insertion pain, a solution is finally in development. 3Daughters's innovative approach offers hope that comfort, safety, and dignity will become the new standard in contraceptive care.
