Fever, like metrorrhagia or pelvic pain, should be a danger signal alerting women with IUDs to seek medical attention without delay. If the temperature is elevated and the clinical signs suggest salpingitis or pelvic infalmmation, the patient should be hospitalized to obtain a diagnostic and therapeutic laparoscopy, intravenous polyantibiotic treatment, and bed rest. A temperature of about 38 degrees Celsius associated with metrorrhagia suggests salpingitis, regardless of other clinical findings, particularly if the patient is under 25, has had several sexual partners, is nulliparous, or is an insulin-dependent diabetic. The diagnosis should be confirmed by laparoscopy. If a virus or flu is as likely to be the cause as a gynecological infection, blood tests and assay of sedimentation rates should be obtained; over 10,000 polynuclear forms, mainly neutrophils, and a sedimentation rate elevated beyond that expected by the fever are significant in diagnosis. A sonogram can be used to rule out endometrial or tubal infection. If doubt persists, the IUD should be removed and a careful laparoscopy performed to assess the extent and nature of lesions. If the IUD is removed, effective replacement contraception should be prescribed. The physician should not ignore a fever in a patient using an IUD, and should be available for consultation immediately. Removal of the device without further treatment is insufficient in case of gynecological infection because of the danger posed to subsequent fertility. The IUD should not be removed without a short and intensive antibiotic treatment. The possibility of a partner with urethritis should not be ignored, and the fever should not be attributed to vaginitis, even if it is a severe case. The possibility of a pregnancy with the device in place should be ruled out. If the strings are not visible, a sonogram should be obtained to locate the device. In diagnosing febrile patients, the possibility of appendicitis and pyelonephritis should also be considered.