5 Things You Must Know About intrauterine contraceptive device

Intrauterine contraceptive device is the most effective method of birth control which acts for a really long time. It is a tiny device which is inserted in uterus to prevent pregnancy. Here I present to you 5 things you must know about IUD :

Two types of Intrauterine Contraceptive Device: there are two types of IUD’s, hormonal and non-hormonal. Hormonal IUD is made up of plastic and secrets small amount of progestin hormone in uterus. It prevents sperm from entering uterus and thickens cervical mucus creating complete hostile environment for sperm. It also thins the lining of uterus and makes it hard for egg to attach. Non-hormonal IUD is copper IUD which is a plastic rod covered in copper coil. It releases copper in uterus which causes an inflammatory reaction that makes it harder for sperm to survive there.

You can get it even if you don’t have kids: IUDs are not necessarily made for moms only. You can use it even though you haven’t had any delivery. It might be easy procedure for women who have had deliveries before as their cervical canal has stretched already during the childbirth and hence will have easy dilation to place IUD. But even women having no children can also tolerate it if they can tolerate vaginal exam.

Insertion might be little painful: Many women experience a sharp pain or cramping while inserting the IUD. There can be cramping even for few days afterward. Insertion is minor surgical procedure and very quick. Doctors use speculum to find the cervix, then dilates it and passes Intrauterine Contraceptive Device through cervical canal and place it in uterus. You can take Ibuprofen before the procedure.

Risks: there are certain risks associated with IUD hence you cannot get an IUD if you are pregnant, if you have vaginal bleeding, in case of some liver disease or cancer of uterus or cervix, in case of pelvic inflammatory diseases, if you have history of breast cancer, you cannot use hormonal IUD and if have Wilson’s disease you cannot use copper IUD.

Your partner might feel strings: Intrauterine contraceptive Device have strings at its bottom that extend through cervix into vagina to make it easy for doctor to remove them. For first few months your partner may feel the tips of strings but when they reach body temperature they will become soft and curl up around the cervix. If he still feels the strings after few months of inserting IUD, you can tell your doctor to trim them.