Is There A Risk Of Ectopic Pregnancy With An Iud
Using an IUD puts you at a higher risk of ectopic pregnancies than pregnancy in the general population. Research has shown that the incidence of ectopic pregnancy with Paragard was 0.06% and the incidence of ectopic pregnancy with Mirena and Skyla was 0.1% .
Ectopic pregnancies are pregnancies that occur outside of the uterus, usually in the fallopian tubes. An ectopic pregnancy can’t proceed normally because the fertilized egg cannot survive if it is not in the uterus. In addition, if the embryo is left to develop, the growing tissue may cause life-threatening bleeding. If you develop an ectopic pregnancy while Paragard, Mirena, or Skyla is inserted, you may require surgery.
The Tl dr On Pregnancy And Iuds
Becoming pregnant with an IUD inserted is “exceedingly rare,” according to an article published by the NLM, and it’s still one of the most effective forms of contraception. The pill, the patch, and the hormonal vaginal ring, for example, all have a typical use failure rate of 7 percent compared to less than 1 percent for IUDs, according to the CDC. That said, there isn’t one “best” form of birth control, and your needs may change over time, per the Office on Women’s Health. So if those risks of pregnancy with an IUD inserted make you feel uneasy, chat with your doc about your other birth control options.
How Do Iuds Work
Both copper IUDs and hormonal IUDs prevent pregnancy by changing the way sperm cells move so they canât get to an egg. If sperm cant make it to an egg, pregnancy cant happen.
The Paragard IUD uses copper to prevent pregnancy. Sperm doesnt 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 , which means theres 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 theyre not permanent. If you decide to get pregnant or you just dont want to have your IUD anymore, your nurse or doctor can quickly and easily take it out. Youre able to get pregnant right after the IUD is removed.
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How Is An Iud Put In
The doctor or nurse practitioner puts the IUD in through the vagina, past the cervix, and into the uterus. This only takes a few minutes from start to finish. People usually feel some cramping during the placement, but it gets better within a few minutes.
Taking it easy for the rest of the day, using a heating pad, and taking over-the-counter pain medicine can help with any discomfort after the IUD is placed.
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Are Iuds Effective In Preventing Pregnancy
Both types of IUDs are incredibly effective. Less than one percent of all women who get them get pregnant. In other words, fewer than one out of one hundred people using them will accidentally get pregnant.
IUDs are effective as soon as they are correctly inserted, and they stay effective for many years. They are great for women who are not yet ready to start a family. However, they can always be taken out by your medical professional. IUDs do not affect your fertility in any long-term way. You should be able to get pregnant very quickly after you remove the IUD.
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Will I Get My Period With An Iud
Concerned that a missed period means you became pregnant with an IUD? Don’t fret just yet, says Cristina Perez, M.D., an OB-GYN at the Women’s Specialists of Houston at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women. About 25% of menstruating people stop having their period while on Mirena , she says.
The other type of IUD, ParaGard, relies on copper to prevent pregnancy. “ParaGard has no hormones,” Dr. Perez explains, so if you’re using it, you should still be getting your period as long as you’re not pregnant. Either way, if don’t get your period as expected and you could be pregnant, it’s a good idea to contact your doctor and take a pregnancy test, just in case.
Risks From Pregnancy With An Iud
While pregnancy with an IUD is uncommon, it can be dangerous for the pregnant person and the fetus. In some cases, a pregnancy with an IUD may result in an ectopic pregnancy.
An ectopic pregnancy is a rare condition in which the egg attaches to tissue outside of the uterus, such as the lining of the fallopian tubes. If this type of pregnancy isnt removed, it can cause tears, bleeding, and even death.
Becoming pregnant with an IUD in place increases your risk of:
- Miscarriage
- Infection of the fluids and tissue around the fetus
- Slow growth of the fetus
- Early membrane rupture
- Low birth weight
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Who Can Get An Iud
Most people can use an IUD, including those who are young and those who have not had children.
Hormonal IUDs are a really good option if you have heavy or painful periods.
If you have an infection, you should get it treated before you get an IUD put in.
If you have heavy or painful periods you should not get a copper IUD because it might make them worse.
How Does It Happen
There are a few reasons pregnancy could occur in people with an IUD. In some cases, a person could become pregnant before the IUD is effective since not all types are effective immediately.
Copper IUDs, like Paragard, protect against pregnancy immediately because the copper changes the environment in the uterus, making it toxic to both the sperm and the egg. This prevents the sperm from reaching the egg and the egg from attaching to the uterine wall.
Hormonal IUDs, like Mirena or Kyleena, take about seven days to start working. These types are generally considered effective immediately if inserted during your period because of where you are in your menstrual and ovulation cycles.
If you have a hormonal IUD inserted, its recommended to use a backup contraceptive method or abstain from intercourse for seven days.
In other cases, pregnancy could occur if the IUD shifts its position. In a small number of people, the IUD may slip partially or entirely out of the uterus . If the IUD shifts, even partly out of position, it will no longer be fully effective at preventing pregnancy.
Another potential way pregnancy can occur is if the IUD remains in your body longer than its recommended expiration date. The amount of time an IUD can stay in and remain effective depends on the type of IUD. The manufacturer recommendations for a few IUDs are:
- Skyla: Up to three years
- Kyleena: Up to five years
- Mirena: Up to seven years
- Paragard: Up to 10 years
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So Then How Did That Woman Get Pregnant With An Iud You’re Wondering
Let’s reiterate the fact that the chances of getting pregnant with an IUD are very, very, very slim. According to HHS, fewer than one out of every 100 women with an IUD will get pregnant while they have one.
If theyre inserted correctly, they are 99.9 percent effectivemore effective than a vasectomy, Dr. Ross explains. And the Center for Disease Control and Prevention backs Dr. Ross up, noting that IUDs are one of the most effective forms of birth control, with a failure rate of less than 1 percent for both non-hormonal and hormonal IUDs .
But can it happen? Yes. ” IUD may not have been inserted correctly or may have displaced itself after being inserted,” Dr. Ross says. Thats why Dr. Ross uses an ultrasound to help ensure an IUD is placed in the right location. Its also why docs recommend coming back in a month after insertion to make sure the IUD is in the right place in your uterus.
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You can also check that its still in place every month after your period by feeling for the strings and watching out for any irregular bleeding or pelvic pain, which can be a sign its been displaced, Dr. Ross says. Feeling for your strings can sound like work, but its actually not too hard and thus allows IUDs to continue to boast being relatively low maintenance.
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Luckily The Available Research Shows That Its Extremely Rare To Get Pregnant With An Iud
IUDs are a very, very reliable method of birth control, Maureen Whelihan, M.D., an ob/gyn at the Center for Sexual Health & Education, tells SELF. Jason James, M.D., medical director at Miami’s FemCare Ob-Gyn, agrees, but he also notes that even the best birth control can fail. Theres nothing thats 100 percent, he tells SELF.
Heres the generally accepted statistic: Fewer than one person out of every 100 with an IUD will get pregnant within the first year of use.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites a 2011 Contraception review in its materials about effectiveness of different birth control methods. The review examined the largest and most methodologically sound data on the subject, concluding that the failure rate for Paragard and Mirena are 0.8 and 0.2 percent respectively.
A 2017 study in Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health studied 15,728 contraceptive use intervals from 6,683 women over four years, also concluding that IUDs were only likely to fail 1 percent of the time in a period of 12 months.
As you can see, the overall point is that getting pregnant with an IUD is extremely rare.
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Using An Iud After Giving Birth
An IUD can usually be fitted 4 weeks after giving birth . Youll need to use alternative contraception from 3 weeks after the birth until the IUD is put in.
In some cases, an IUD can be fitted within 48 hours of giving birth. Its safe to use an IUD when youre breastfeeding, and it will not affect your milk supply.
Myth: Problems After Removal
Some couples do not want to use the IUD because they incorrectly believe that the IUD will cause infertility, ectopic pregnancy, or miscarriage.
Fact: no increased risk of infertility
Good studies find no increased risk of infertility among women who have used IUDs, including young women and women with no children. Whether or not a woman has an IUD, however, if she develops pelvic inflammatory disease and it is not treated, there is some chance that she will become infertile. PID can permanently damage the lining of the fallopian tubes and may partially or totally block one or both tubes enough to cause infertility.
Fact: no increased risk of ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage after removal
Because any pregnancy among IUD users is rare, ectopic pregnancy among IUD users is even rarer. An IUD does not increase a womans overall risk of ectopic pregnancy. In fact, an IUD users risk of an ectopic pregnancy is much lower than the risk to a woman who is not using any method of contraception. In the unlikely event of pregnancy in an IUD user, 6 to 8 in every 100 of these pregnancies is ectopic. Thus, the great majority of pregnancies after IUD failure are not ectopic. Still, ectopic pregnancy can be life-threatening, so a provider should be aware that ectopic pregnancy is possible if an IUD fails.
IUDs do not cause miscarriages after they have been removed. If correct insertion technique is used, the use of an IUD will not cause any difficulty in future pregnancies.
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Is It Actually Possible
Yes, you can get pregnant while using an IUD but its rare.
IUDs are more than 99 percent effective. This means that less than 1 out of every 100 people who have an IUD will become pregnant.
All IUDs hormonal, non-hormonal, or copper have a similar failure rate.
Read on to learn why this happens, your options for emergency contraception, when to take a pregnancy test, and more.
Myth: Sexual Desire And Sexual Pleasure
Some couples do not want to use the IUD because they incorrectly believe that the IUD will cause inconvenience during sex, pain for the male partner because the strings will hurt the penis, or that using the IUD causes discomfort and pain for the woman during sex.
Fact: It might make you more relaxed about unintended pregnancies and enjoy sex even more!
There is no reason why an IUD should negatively affect sexual pleasure. On the contrary, being free from fear of pregnancy may allow both partners, especially the woman, to enjoy their sexual life.
There is no reason why an IUD should cause discomfort or pain during sexual intercourse unless the woman is already having cramps, which sometimes occur during the first few weeks after insertion. Sexual intercourse cannot displace an IUD.
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Are There Any Complications With Iud
The effects of IUD need not be the same for every woman. Some women may have pain, bleeding, and dizziness during and after insertion. .
A few women might have more serious complications such as .
- Initial unexpected spotting per vaginum
- Perforation of the uterine wall
- Partial or complete expulsion of IUD where it spontaneously falls off
- Unexpected pregnancies such as ectopic pregnancy
- Increase in the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease on exposure to chlamydia or gonorrhea while inserting IUD.
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Composition And Hormonal Release
The hormonal IUD is a small ‘T’-shaped piece of plastic, which contains levonorgestrel, a type of progestin. The cylinder of the device is coated with a membrane that regulates the release of the drug. Bayer markets Skyla as Jaydess in the United Kingdom. Jaydess releases six micrograms per day and lasts for three years. In comparison, oral contraceptives can contain 150 micrograms of levonorgestrel. The hormonal IUD releases the levonorgestrel directly into the uterus, as such its effects are mostly paracrine rather than systemic. Most of the drug stays inside the uterus, and only a small amount is absorbed into the rest of the body.
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Taking Steps If You Think You’re Pregnant
Did You Know? While home pregnancy tests are most effective once youve missed your period, some are accurate 4 or 5 days before your period is due.
Can The Iud Cause Any Serious Health Problems
In about 1 in 500 users, a small hole in the wall of the uterus may be created while the IUD is being inserted. The IUD can move through the hole and sit in the wrong place. If this happens, keyhole surgery is required to have the IUD removed.
Around 1 in 300 users get an infection when the IUD is first inserted. This can be successfully treated with antibiotics.
It is very unlikely to get pregnant when using an IUD. If you do get pregnant with an IUD in place, there is a higher chance of ectopic pregnancy. This means that the pregnancy may settle in the fallopian tubes . This should be medically assessed urgently and treated as required.
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How Will It Feel To Get My Iud Removed
Getting your IUD taken out is pretty quick and simple. A health care provider gently pulls on the string, and the IUDs arms fold up and it slips out. You may feel cramping for a minute as it comes out.
Theres a small chance that your IUD wont come out easily. If this happens, your nurse or doctor may use special instruments to remove it. Very rarely, surgery may be needed.
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