Why are IUD/IUS so mistrusted?

When I've talked about getting an IUS, I have heard an awful lot of "omg I wouldn't have one, didn't your hear about the freind of a freind of a cousin's girlfreind's sister who got a horrible infection and died??" type anecdotes.

If I play this game myself and take the ridiculously small sampling of my freindship group as though it's useful data I get; two who have had bad experiences with the pill, one who had a bad experience with an arm implant, and one who had a really good experience with an IUS.

The scary stories have already put off one freind who previously planned to get an IUD (she is going back to the implant, despite having had it fail on her before), which is dissapointing. But while I accept that there must be a minor risk of infection/error, as with any other procedure, I remain unconvinced that the IUD is not to be trusted. Are all these freinds of freinds getting them done in back alleys or something?

Why would the infection/fatal error rate be so high as people would have me believe? I wonder if it isn't something to do with our society's lingering feeling that there is something inherently "unclean" about female genitalia.

I've made my appointment to go and see about getting one. Not sure if I'll get an IUD or an IUS yet; I'll see what the doctor recommends.

llovell