Iud use. IUD Birth Control: Types, Effectiveness, and Benefits of Intrauterine Devices
What are IUDs and how do they work. How effective are IUDs at preventing pregnancy. What are the different types of IUDs available. How long do IUDs last and can they be removed early. What are the benefits and potential side effects of using an IUD.
Understanding Intrauterine Devices (IUDs): A Comprehensive Guide
An Intrauterine Device, commonly known as an IUD, is a small, T-shaped contraceptive device inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy. IUDs are highly effective, long-term, and reversible birth control methods that have gained popularity due to their convenience and reliability.
What exactly is an IUD?
An IUD is a flexible, plastic device shaped like a T that is placed inside the uterus. It’s designed to prevent pregnancy by creating an environment that’s inhospitable to sperm, effectively blocking fertilization. There are two main types of IUDs: hormonal and non-hormonal (copper).
Types of IUDs: Hormonal vs. Non-Hormonal Options
In the United States, there are five FDA-approved IUD brands, which can be categorized into two main types:
- Hormonal IUDs: Mirena, Kyleena, Liletta, and Skyla
- Non-hormonal IUD: Paragard (copper IUD)
How do hormonal IUDs work?
Hormonal IUDs release small amounts of progestin, a synthetic hormone similar to progesterone. This hormone works to prevent pregnancy in two primary ways:
- Thickening cervical mucus, which blocks and traps sperm
- Sometimes preventing ovulation, meaning no egg is released for fertilization
How does the copper IUD work?
The Paragard IUD is wrapped in a small amount of copper, which is toxic to sperm. This creates an environment that makes it nearly impossible for sperm to reach and fertilize an egg.
IUD Effectiveness: A Highly Reliable Birth Control Method
IUDs are among the most effective forms of birth control available. Both hormonal and copper IUDs have a failure rate of less than 1%, making them more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy.
How does IUD effectiveness compare to other birth control methods?
IUDs are significantly more effective than many other forms of birth control. For comparison:
- Birth control pills: 91% effective with typical use
- Condoms: 82% effective with typical use
- IUDs: More than 99% effective
This high level of effectiveness is largely due to the fact that IUDs require little to no effort from the user once inserted, eliminating the risk of human error that can occur with other methods.
IUD Insertion Process: What to Expect
The IUD insertion process is a relatively quick medical procedure that can be performed in a healthcare provider’s office. While experiences can vary, most people describe the process as causing mild to moderate discomfort.
How is an IUD inserted?
The insertion process typically involves the following steps:
- A speculum is inserted into the vagina to visualize the cervix
- The cervix and vagina are cleansed with an antiseptic solution
- The IUD is inserted through the cervix and into the uterus using a special inserter
- The inserter is removed, leaving the IUD in place
- The strings attached to the IUD are trimmed
The entire process usually takes about 5-10 minutes. Some people may experience cramping or discomfort during and after the insertion, but this typically subsides within a few days.
IUD Duration and Removal: Understanding Your Options
One of the significant advantages of IUDs is their long-lasting nature. However, they can also be removed earlier if desired.
How long do different IUDs last?
The duration of effectiveness varies depending on the type of IUD:
- Paragard (copper IUD): Up to 12 years
- Mirena: Up to 8 years
- Kyleena: Up to 5 years
- Liletta: Up to 8 years
- Skyla: Up to 3 years
Can an IUD be removed before its expiration date?
Yes, an IUD can be removed at any time before its expiration date if you decide you want to become pregnant or switch to a different form of birth control. The removal process is typically quick and straightforward, performed by a healthcare provider.
Benefits of IUDs: Why Choose This Birth Control Method?
IUDs offer numerous advantages that make them an attractive option for many individuals seeking reliable contraception.
What are the primary benefits of using an IUD?
Some of the key benefits include:
- High effectiveness (over 99%)
- Long-term contraception without daily effort
- Reversible and quickly effective upon removal
- Cost-effective over time
- Hormone-free option available (Paragard)
- May reduce menstrual bleeding and cramps (hormonal IUDs)
- Can be used while breastfeeding
Potential Side Effects and Risks of IUDs
While IUDs are generally safe and well-tolerated, like all medical devices and treatments, they can have potential side effects and risks.
Are there common side effects associated with IUD use?
Some common side effects may include:
- Irregular bleeding or spotting, especially in the first few months
- Cramping or pelvic pain
- Heavier periods (with copper IUDs)
- Lighter or absent periods (with hormonal IUDs)
- Hormonal side effects like acne or mood changes (with hormonal IUDs)
What are the potential risks of IUD use?
While rare, more serious complications can occur:
- Perforation of the uterus during insertion (very rare, occurs in about 1 in 1,000 insertions)
- Expulsion of the IUD
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), typically only if an infection is present at the time of insertion
- Ectopic pregnancy (while IUDs greatly reduce the risk of pregnancy overall, if a pregnancy does occur, it’s more likely to be ectopic)
It’s important to discuss these potential risks with a healthcare provider when considering an IUD.
IUDs as Emergency Contraception: A Lesser-Known Application
In addition to their primary use as long-term contraception, certain IUDs can also be used as a highly effective form of emergency contraception.
Which IUDs can be used for emergency contraception?
The Paragard, Mirena, and Liletta IUDs can all be used as emergency contraception if inserted within 120 hours (5 days) of unprotected intercourse.
How effective are IUDs as emergency contraception?
When used as emergency contraception, IUDs are more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. This makes them the most effective form of emergency contraception available, surpassing even the morning-after pill in efficacy.
An added benefit of using an IUD for emergency contraception is that it can then be left in place to provide ongoing, long-term contraception for years to come.
Choosing the Right IUD: Factors to Consider
Selecting the most suitable IUD depends on various factors, including personal health history, preferences, and lifestyle considerations.
What should be considered when choosing between hormonal and non-hormonal IUDs?
Some factors to consider include:
- Desired duration of use
- Preference for or against hormonal methods
- Current menstrual symptoms (heavy bleeding, cramping)
- Desire for potential non-contraceptive benefits (like reduced menstrual flow)
- Medical history and contraindications
- Plans for future pregnancy
It’s crucial to have a thorough discussion with a healthcare provider to determine which IUD type might be the best fit for an individual’s unique circumstances and needs.
IUD Myths and Misconceptions: Separating Fact from Fiction
Despite their proven effectiveness and safety, several myths and misconceptions about IUDs persist. Addressing these can help individuals make more informed decisions about their contraceptive choices.
Are IUDs safe for women who haven’t had children?
Yes, IUDs are safe and appropriate for most women, regardless of whether they’ve had children. While insertion may be slightly easier for those who have given birth vaginally, IUDs can be successfully used by women who have never been pregnant.
Can IUDs cause infertility?
No, IUDs do not cause infertility. Once an IUD is removed, fertility typically returns quickly. Any delay in conceiving after IUD removal is generally not related to the IUD itself.
Do IUDs increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy?
IUDs significantly reduce the overall risk of pregnancy, including ectopic pregnancies. However, in the rare event that a pregnancy does occur with an IUD in place, it’s more likely to be ectopic. It’s important to note that the absolute risk of ectopic pregnancy is still lower with an IUD than with no contraception at all.
IUD Accessibility and Cost Considerations
Understanding the accessibility and potential costs associated with IUDs can help individuals make informed decisions about their contraceptive options.
How can one obtain an IUD?
IUDs require a prescription and must be inserted by a healthcare professional. They can typically be obtained through:
- Gynecologists or primary care physicians
- Family planning clinics
- Some community health centers
- Planned Parenthood centers
What are the costs associated with IUDs?
The cost of an IUD can vary widely depending on factors such as:
- Type of IUD
- Healthcare provider
- Insurance coverage
- Location
Without insurance, the cost of an IUD, including the device and insertion, can range from $500 to $1,300. However, many insurance plans cover IUDs at little to no cost under the Affordable Care Act. Additionally, some family planning clinics offer IUDs on a sliding scale based on income.
While the upfront cost may seem high, it’s important to consider that IUDs are a long-term contraceptive method. When factored over their years of use, they often become one of the most cost-effective birth control options available.
IUD Birth Control | Info About Mirena & Paragard IUDs
In This Section
IUD
How effective are IUDs?
How can I get an IUD?
What’s an IUD insertion like?
Are there IUD side effects?
How safe are IUDs?
What are the benefits of IUDs?
What are the disadvantages of IUDs?
How does IUD removal work?
What are hormonal IUDs?
What are non-hormonal IUDs?
What is an IUD? Learn About IUD Effectiveness | Planned Parenthood Video
What’s an IUD?
An IUD is a tiny device that’s put into your uterus to prevent pregnancy.
It’s long-term, reversible, and one of the most effective birth control methods out there.
What does IUD stand for?
IUD stands for Intrauterine Device (basically: a device inside your uterus). It’s a small piece of flexible plastic shaped like a T. Sometimes it’s called an IUC — intrauterine contraception.
What are the types of IUDs?
There are 5 different brands of IUDs that are FDA approved for use in the United States:
- Paragard,
- Mirena,
- Kyleena,
- Liletta, and
- Skyla.
These IUDs are divided into 2 types:
- hormonal IUDs (Mirena, Kyleena, Liletta, and Skyla).
- copper IUDs (Paragard) and
The Paragard IUD doesn’t have hormones. It’s wrapped in a tiny bit of copper, and it protects you from pregnancy for up to 12 years.
The Mirena, Kyleena, Liletta, and Skyla IUDs use the hormone progestin to prevent pregnancy. Progestin is very similar to the hormone progesterone that our bodies make naturally.
Mirena works for up to 8 years. Kyleena works for up to 5 years. Liletta works for up to 8 years. Skyla works for up to 3 years.
How do IUDs work?
Both copper IUDs and hormonal IUDs prevent pregnancy by changing the way sperm cells move so they can’t get to an egg. If sperm can’t make it to an egg, pregnancy can’t happen.
The Paragard IUD uses copper to prevent pregnancy. Sperm doesn’t like copper, so the Paragard IUD makes it almost impossible for sperm to get to that egg.
The hormones in the Mirena, Kyleena, Liletta, and Skyla IUDs prevent pregnancy in two ways: 1) they thicken the mucus that lives on the cervix, which blocks and traps the sperm, and 2) the hormones also sometimes stop eggs from leaving your ovaries (called ovulation), which means there’s no egg for a sperm to fertilize. No egg, no pregnancy.
One of the awesome things about IUDs is that they last for years — but they’re not permanent. If you decide to get pregnant or you just don’t want to have your IUD anymore, your nurse or doctor can quickly and easily take it out.
You’re able to get pregnant right after the IUD is removed.
Can IUDs be used as emergency contraception?
Yes! The Paragard, Mirena, and Liletta IUDs work super well as emergency contraception. If you get one of these IUDs put in within 120 hours (5 days) after unprotected sex, it’s more than 99% effective. It’s actually the most effective way to prevent pregnancy after sex.
Another great thing about using an IUD as emergency contraception: you can keep it and have really effective birth control that you can use for up to 8 to12 years (depending on which kind you get). The other kind of emergency contraception is the morning-after pill. You can take it up to 5 days after unprotected sex to reduce the risk of pregnancy.
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IUD
99% effective
Costs up to $1,300, but can be $0
Put in by a doctor or nurse
Lasts up to 12 years
This IUD doesn’t protect you from STDs. Use a condom with your IUD to help stop pregnancy and STDs.
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What is the Effectiveness of the IUD?
In This Section
IUD
How effective are IUDs?
How can I get an IUD?
What’s an IUD insertion like?
Are there IUD side effects?
How safe are IUDs?
What are the benefits of IUDs?
What are the disadvantages of IUDs?
How does IUD removal work?
What are hormonal IUDs?
What are non-hormonal IUDs?
The IUD is almost mistake-proof, making it one of the most effective methods available.
How effective are IUDs when used as birth control?
IUDs are one of the best birth control methods out there — more than 99% effective. That means fewer than 1 out of 100 people who use an IUD will get pregnant each year.
IUDs are so effective because there’s no chance of making a mistake. You can’t forget to take it (like the pill), or use it incorrectly (like condoms). And you’re protected from pregnancy 24/7 for 3 to 12 years, depending on which kind you get. Once your IUD is in place, you can pretty much forget about it until it expires. You can keep track of your insertion and removal date using our birth control app.
How effective are IUDs when used as emergency contraception?
The Paragard (copper), Mirena, and Liletta IUDs are the most effective method of emergency contraception available. If you get one of these IUDs put in within 120 hours (5 days) after having unprotected sex, it’s more than 99.9% effective at preventing pregnancy. Then, if you want to, you can keep it and have really effective birth control that you can use for up to 8 to 12 years (depending on which kind you get).
Do IUDs protect against STDs?
No, IUDs don’t protect against STDs. Luckily, using condoms or internal condoms every time you have sex does lower the chance of getting or spreading STDs. So using condoms with your IUD is the way to go.
Was this page helpful?
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Help us improve – how could this information be more helpful?
How did this information help you?
Please answer below.
Are you human? (Sorry, we have to ask!)
Please don’t check this box if you are a human.
You’re the best! Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks for your feedback.
IUD
99% effective
Costs up to $1,300, but can be $0
Put in by a doctor or nurse
Lasts up to 12 years
This IUD doesn’t protect you from STDs.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/iud-strings-missing-906756_color2-5b92cc2cc9e77c008290970c.png)
Use a condom with your IUD to help stop pregnancy and STDs.
See All Methods
Back to top
Abstinence
Breastfeeding
Cervical Cap
Condom
Diaphragm
FAM
Implant
Internal Condom
IUD
The Patch
The Pill
The Ring
The Shot
Spermicide
Sponge
Sterilization
Vasectomy
Withdrawal
We couldn’t access your location, please search for a location.
Zip, City, or State
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Please fill out this field.
Service
All Services
Abortion
Abortion Referrals
Birth Control
COVID-19 Vaccine
HIV Services
Men’s Health Care
Mental Health
Morning-After Pill (Emergency Contraception)
Pregnancy Testing & Services
Primary Care
STD Testing, Treatment & Vaccines
Transgender Hormone Therapy
Women’s Health Care
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Telehealth
In-person
Please enter your age and the first day of your last period for more accurate abortion options. Your information is private and anonymous.
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Hello! I use in English with examples
Hello! I use in English with examples
From professional translators, enterprises, web pages and freely available translation repositories.
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Russian
English
Hello! I use
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hello, i’m using
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Reference: Anonymous
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I use.
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I am using this.
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i use it.
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i use this:
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i use this:
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I use tools
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I’m using tool
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Hello, I’m Kristin
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i’m doing this research
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hello, i am sepideh.
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I am a pathologist.
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i’m looking for: i’m looking for: a man aged 35 to 46 for starting a family.
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Hello! I am Tomoko Sato from Japan
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Hello, I would like to ask.
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“Hello everyone! I use Whatsapp” – how to remove status on Android, iPhone, PC
WhatsApp Services
November 4, 2021 etc. Many users who go to WhatsApp from Telegram or other messengers do not understand why a noticeable number of people have the message “Hi everyone! I use Whatsapp. In this article, we will answer this question.
Table of contents
What does “Hello everyone! I use Whatsapp”
Message “Hello everyone! I use Whatsapp” is a standard messenger status. It is installed for all new users, and then it can be changed if necessary. We will describe how to change the status below.
Please note:
Many WhatsApp users do not even notice that they have this status set.
The status is set directly to the user profile. When another person goes to their profile page, they see this standard message.
Note that the status “Hello everyone! I use Whatsapp” is the same as “Hey there! I am using whatsapp.
” In English, the status option can be set if the user initially selected the English version of the messenger during setup, or if his phone is set to English.
Important:
As you can see, the text “Hello everyone! I use Whatsapp” is just a translation of “Hey there! I am using WhatsApp” from English.
How to remove the message “Hello everyone! I use Whatsapp”
Remove the message “Hello everyone! I use Whatsapp” in Whatsapp you can use your phone or any other version of the messenger. Let’s consider three options – one for the iPhone, the second for the mobile device with Android and the third for the web version on the computer.
From iPhone
Open the official WhatsApp application on your smartphone.
Next, at the bottom, switch to the “Settings” section and click on your name.
In the “Details” item, the standard Whatsapp message is set – “Hi everyone! I use Whatsapp” or “Hey there! I am using whatsapp.” Click on it.
In the upper right corner, select Edit.
Please note:
If you don’t want to set your own status, just select one of the available quick status options – just click on it. A quick status on WhatsApp can be useful if you need to inform potential interlocutors about something, for example, that you are currently busy and cannot receive voice calls.
Now click on the current status again to edit it.
Enter the new status you want to set and click Save in the top right corner.
The new status will replace the previous one.
From Android
In the WhatsApp app, tap on the 3 dots in the top right corner.
Go to the “Settings” section.
Here, click on your name – the top menu item.
Next, click on the pencil icon next to the “Details” subsection.
Select one of the available status options or write a new status yourself.
You will now have a new WhatsApp status set instead of the standard “Hello everyone! I use Whatsapp” or “Hey there! I am using whatsapp.