IUD for contraception?

[Derya]

What has anyone's experience been with use of an IUD for contraception? I am currently investigating the possibility of this with my physician, but I've really never known anyone personally who chooses this method. Or if I do know someone they've never had reason to discuss it with me. This makes me wonder if it not a very popular choice for some reason. I know years ago there was problem with a certain brand and style of IUD, creating a health concern, but from what I remember that was not all of them and that product was removed from the market?

Input in general would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Weird Harold]

This makes me wonder if it not a very popular choice for some reason.

I think reliability is the main issue with IUDs now. I can't vouch for the accuracy of the statistics I've seen, but IUDs are ranked just above a Diaphram and the Rythm Method in reliability -- something around 80-85% reliable.

Most listings I've seen don't include condom reliability for some reason. Perhaps because condoms aren't directly under a woman's control?

I get the impression that IUDs are only still available because some women can't use the Pill or other hormonal/chemical birth control products and are a "last resort" for permanent protection.

 

[Derya]

yep that's some of what I've wondering

Weird Harold,

yeah I'm wondering about the factors you've mentioned...that's why I hope to hear from someone who has used them. According to some literature I received from my physician a few weeks ago that rates effectiveness, pros, cons yada yada of various contraception methods it's listed as 99% effective. That matches the effectiveness rating for correct use of oral contraceptives on the same literature.

I am currently preparing some questions to speak with my doctor about. And yeah I'm one of those that finds the pill too mood altering to be able to tolerate. If mental/emotional health takes a beating then contraception period kind of becomes a mute point b/c sexual activity kind of takes a backseat in life compared to anxiety, depression, and mood swings. Thinking humorously maybe that's how the pill is supposed to work....mess me up so much that I don't want to have sex...too busy just trying to function LOL

 

[English Lady]

Well I use an IUD and it gives me no problems at all, the only thing I've noticed is that my periods are heavier than they were when I was on the contraceptive pill.

I was told to go on it because my blood pressure was getting too high on the contraceptive pill and basically i didn't like the idea of the sponge thing...my sex life is too unpredictable to be able to insert the sponge a few hours before sex.

As far as i remember form the literature that came with mine it is something like 98-99% effective when it's in place right. there's a little string that dangles down from it that you should check on every now and then to make sure its still there(by now and then i mean every few weeks) and you need to have it checked I think every year to make sure it's still sat in it's right place as there is a teeny tiny minute chance of it getting dislodged and disappearing.

I know that sounds disturbing but it realy is the smallest little possibility aand it is best to be fully informed about these things.


Advantages:

don't have to remember to take a pill every day/put something on or in before sex

alliviates PMS (well it definitely has for me)

pretty damn effective when in place


disadvantages...


having to have it put in (i was ok with it but i guess it's embarassing to some people esp as they put it in when you're on your period)

only suitable for women who've given birth (as far as i know)

heavier periods(or lighter ones, or none at all, they effect people differently)



All in all it does the trick for me and most of the time you just forget about it and let it do its thing

 

[Crazy Diamond]

Hi, I would like to add my pov, sorry if its too informative for some lol

I had one around 7 years ago, it was ok for about two months then I fell pregnant (seeing as my son at the time was only 2 months old I was not happy). I carried my son with complications until I was 6 months gone and then unfortunately it all went wrong. I then had to go through the birth!

Strange thing though, my neighbour was using one and exactly the same thing happened to her too!!!!!!!

I was told this doesn't happen very often (at which point I could of thumped her). I was also told I am very fertile, I don't know if this is a valid point but it gives you another viewpoint.

So IMO I would never recommend anyone to have one!

CD

 

[_Milky_Whites_]

My best friend used one for a couple of years. It was great contraceptive, she never became pregnant. But at some point it came loose, dislodged itself, whatever they do. For several months she had extreme pain and bleeding before they figured out what it was. Needless to say, she had it removed.

 

[BirdsWife]

I'm in that 1% who got pregnant with an IUD, three months after I paid five hundred bucks to have it inserted. I was on experimental drugs for my MS at the time that could have possibly caused birth defects. My doctor felt that the IUD was the best choice under the circumstances, so it obviously has a good track record overall despite my experience with it.

Every form of birth control has its drawbacks, and as you know, no form of birth control outside of abstinance is 100% effective. You need to weigh your options carefully and decided which drawbacks you can afford to live with.

Have you heard of/discussed the patch or Nuva Ring with your doctor? I've heard that they both have a lower lever of hormones in them than birth control pills since the hormones are more efficiently absorbed into the body than with traditional pills that must be digested.

 

[BirdsWife]

only suitable for women who've given birth (as far as i know)

This is not true from what I know.

However, most doctors won't insert them unless you are in a monogamous relationship because there is an increased risk of serious complications if you are infected with an STD, due to the cervix being more open from what I remember.

 

[English Lady]

birdswife..well I just remember my doctor saying they only offer the IUD as an option to women who've given birth..I am in the UK so maybe it's different over here or it's just my doctors practise to do that.

 

[CelticFrog]

Well, there've been opinions on both sides of the board here, so I'm gonna shove mine on too.

I am absolutely in LOVE with my IUD. I have Mirena which is one of the newer brands on the market. New enough that when my military doctor offered it, I was dumbfounded. My IUD has been in for over a year now (October 2002) and I have never had one single problem with it.

First, unlike English Rose (I hear I'm a minority) I have not had a single period since I had it placed. This is medically a GREAT thing for me, as my periods previously had been way too heavy.

Secondly, it has the same medication (Depo-Provera type) as in the 'shot', but instead of getting into my bloodstream in huge amounts, this is designed to only 'radiate' (my word) enough hormones to get to my reproductive system. This means I have all the benefits of having gotten the shot without actually having to go through all the godawful side effects it has given me in the past.

Thirdly, and lastly before I post a link, it's plastic and not copper. This is huge with a lot of people (myself mildly included) because copper can do some crazy things to specific peoples' chemical makeups.

So. Having said that, I would suggest looking into Mirena if you're leaning towards the IUD. At the very least, learn about ALL different types of them available before you discount all of them as a group. I'm sure anyone would tell you that, though...


Mirena (US page)

My three cents.
Ang

 

[warrior queen]

personally, i would never recommend the IUD to anyone.
my own experience was that for the entire time i had the IUD fitted, i bled non-stop.
one continuous period - lasted for the 13 months i tried to bear with it (coz they kept telling me it would settle down.)
finally had enough, had it removed, and the bleeding stopped 3 days later, and all is back to normal.

nope, IMO, the IUD just has too many complications to make it a valid choice.

 

[warrior queen]

have to add, the IUD i had fitted was the Mirena.
read the fine print before you have one fitted, is all i can say.

 

[Derya]

Thank you for your information

Thank all of you who posted some of your experiences with the IUD (and a couple of PMs I got)....I've just now been able to post back, but all of your input has really helped me with my considerations on this form of contraception (both the pros and cons mentioned). Your discussions helped me further formulate questions for my doctor re IUDs and other options as well. Also the links suggested were helpful in allowing me to research some of my personal questions at the product sites. Also a post re alternative contraceptives that might make a suitable solution were helpful.

Definitely have to find what works best and most comfortable for one's situation, like with all methods, works great for some not others. Certainly though personal experiences and firsthand knowledge are great sources of input and I appreciate your taking the time to respond and convey your knowledge/experience re IUDs.

My post here will end up bumping this again, so if others have comments to share it is most appreciated. Thanks

 

[pplwatching]

only suitable for women who've given birth (as far as i know)

This is because when things goes wrong, the complications can lead to sterility.

There's another thread on this subject
Here with my (our) experience.

 

[Georgia Girl]

I absolutely love my IUD.

I had one for several years and had it removed in order to have my son. Once the healing process was done after his birth I had a new one put in place.

My periods are very light now, no physical PMS symptoms, no worries about remembering to take a pill.....its all taken care of.

 

[redelicious]

I had an IUD and loved it, never had a single problem. I will get another one after my daughter is born. My only wish is that it was covered by insurance.

Mine was of the copper variety. I chose it because of the lack of hormone actually. I took birth control pills for years before my son was born and didn't want that crap in my system anymore.

It's true that some women do experience heavier periods and cramping with this type of IUD. I didn't, but then those kinds of things were never an issue for me before (so maybe I am just a better candidate?)

Also, the reliability for my IUD was in the high 90s. I am pregnant now because I elected to have it removed. The IUD provides protection against pregnancy for 10 years or until the moment you remove it (I liked knowing I could get pregnant at any time without having to wait for any hormones to get out of my system).

I don't know about the monogamous relationship thing, except that doctors don't want people to think just because they have birth control they are also safe from STDs. I guess the same could be said of any method outside of condoms though.

They don't have to put it in when you are on your period. Not sure why that was the case with EL. They did make me wait for 6 weeks after the birth of my son before putting mine in, this was so it wouldn't slip out I was told. I had a csection, but labored to 8 cms beforehand (probably TMI).

Good luck with your choice.

 

[jehoram]

One more thing you need to know is that IUD does not protect against STDs. It's only birth control. As for me, I prefer using more usual contraception like birth control pills. Anyways if you have IUD and are going to have sex with a new partner, don't forget about condoms.

Of course, birth control pills don't help against STDs, either.

Considering that it's been fifteen years since the first posts in this thread, I'm wondering how the science of IUDs has progressed since then. Newer designs? Better understanding of how they work?

My only experience with them concerned a GF who had one installed, and got the Cramps from Hell for a couple of weeks. After that, she had no further problem. We broke up a few months later, so I don't know what the long-term effects were. This was in 1977, by the way, so the picture may have changed a lot since then.

 

[wxpprnpprnt]

My wife has used a copper one for 3 years. She isn't a huge fan, she says it makes her back hurt and makes her afraid to go running as much as she'd like to. It's also caused some period issues. But every time we consider changing, all the other options seem even worse to her. We have a pretty good love life and haven't had any surprise kids yet.

 

[Gregory7788]

IUD works super well as emergency contraception. If I remember correctly, it should be put in within 5 days after unprotected sex, it's more than 99% effective. Though I don't know about side effects like the pain mentioned above.

 

[ToPleaseHim]

IUD works super well as emergency contraception. If I remember correctly, it should be put in within 5 days after unprotected sex, it's more than 99% effective. Though I don't know about side effects like the pain mentioned above. Also, I'm not sure that taking the After morning pill is worse. It is even more convenient.

I’m not sure I’m reading your post correctly. Are you saying that an IUD insertion is more convenient than Plan B? Or were you saying Plan B is more convenient? I mean, taking a pill is much more convenient than scheduling one (likely two) doctors appointments (and where I’m from, getting in to see a doc within 5 days is nearly unheard of unless you are ill or experiencing an emergency). A quick Google search appears to confirm you are correct about it working if inserted within 5 days, but as someone who has been using IUDs for birth control for over a decade, I wouldn’t immediately advocate it for emergency contraceptive unless the person was also looking for long-term birth control.

 

[Gregory7788]

I’m not sure I’m reading your post correctly. Are you saying that an IUD insertion is more convenient than Plan B? Or were you saying Plan B is more convenient? I mean, taking a pill is much more convenient than scheduling one (likely two) doctors appointments (and where I’m from, getting in to see a doc within 5 days is nearly unheard of unless you are ill or experiencing an emergency). A quick Google search appears to confirm you are correct about it working if inserted within 5 days, but as someone who has been using IUDs for birth control for over a decade, I wouldn’t immediately advocate it for emergency contraceptive unless the person was also looking for long-term birth control.

I meant that taking the pill is more convenient. But using IUD is also an effective way.

 

[SisterJezabel]

This thread started some years ago and there have been many, many medical changes in this time. Heck, there are even newer contraception devices that were news to me when I last researched the topic.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I’m not sure I’m reading your post correctly. Are you saying that an IUD insertion is more convenient than Plan B? Or were you saying Plan B is more convenient? I mean, taking a pill is much more convenient than scheduling one (likely two) doctors appointments (and where I’m from, getting in to see a doc within 5 days is nearly unheard of unless you are ill or experiencing an emergency). A quick Google search appears to confirm you are correct about it working if inserted within 5 days, but as someone who has been using IUDs for birth control for over a decade, I wouldn’t immediately advocate it for emergency contraceptive unless the person was also looking for long-term birth control.

Pretty sure Gregory is a spammer. If you look at his posting history, his MO is to make short posts and then go back and edit them to add links to mail-order pharmaceutical websites - note how he added the link to a birth control website after you replied to his post. There's been a rash of them lately.

 

[ToPleaseHim]

Pretty sure Gregory is a spammer. If you look at his posting history, his MO is to make short posts and then go back and edit them to add links to mail-order pharmaceutical websites - note how he added the link to a birth control website after you replied to his post. There's been a rash of them lately.

Ugh! You’re absolutely right and I appreciate how observant you are. I’ll take care of this.

 

[ChromeCollar]

Long time user. Went through my first five year one and am on year 3 of my second five year Mirena.

I have a very light period occasion (every two or three months for one to two days) and no issues with spotting or cramping. I was using depo for a long time but I was told by multiple drs it can impact bone density at some point?

No issues with pregnancy, pain, menstrual cycles. A++ would recommend based on my experience. Getting it put in was painful and I cramped for multiple days but nada after that.