The copper intrauterine device, or IUD, is one of the most effective methods of contraception. Have a doctor shove a T-shaped copper wire into your uterus and watch as you suddenly prove completely invulnerable to pregnancy! But when it comes to how the copper IUD actually works, without any hormones in it preventing pregnancy, most of us might not have a clue. It turns out that the mechanism that makes copper IUDs so effective is still kind of mysterious; but we do know it has to do with copper ions and how they interact with sperm as it enters the body.