Get It and Forget It: IUD Mantra

An IUD is ‘forgettable.’ You get it inserted, it’s very well tolerated, and will have effective protection for years to come. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, ACOG feels that as a method of contraception there are few contraindications and most of the updates have to do with specific recommendations around special situations.

• Rely on your contraception the day you get your IUD. An IUD is immediately effective.
• Insertion timing can be very flexible. You can get your IUDs at any time during the menstrual cycle, and insertion is no more difficult one day verses the other.
• An IUD may be inserted immediately after a miscarriage in the first or second trimester, on the same day as a surgical abortion, and immediately after a medication-induced abortion, and on the same day as first-trimester or second-trimester induced or spontaneous abortion. You could even get an IUD immediately after delivering a baby.
• No antibiotic use necessary. Insertion is not complex, and current guidelines clarify antibiotic prescription need for insertion and specifically women do not need to take an antibiotic routinely just for IUD insertion, so less likelihood of getting a yeast infection just to get your IUD
• As long as you are not testing positive for pregnancy you can get your IUD. Even if you have had unprotected sex that day. You do not need two visits to get an IUD. You can get your IUD and your yearly sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during a single visit.
• IUDs can be used by women with prior infections, abnormal pap smears, perimenopause and even in the menopause. Women with a history of ectopic pregnancies can safely use the IUDs. It is not necessary to remove an IUD or implant before its expiration date in women who are menopausal, medicated IUDs are excellent protection for the uterus in women on estrogen.
• Keep up your routine gynecologic care. Your pap smear timing and testing if abnormal is not disturbed in any way by having an IUD. If you have a reason to have a cervical or uterine biopsy it can be done around the IUD and your IUD would not need to be removed.
• Most insurance plans do cover IUD insertion, so it’s an affordable method of contraception as well.

At Women’s Health Practice we recommend coming in for a consultation yearly to discuss what contraception would be the best.