Hi there! It’s Dr. Dawne, Chicago’s own board-certified OBGYN. My mission is to help women of all ages optimize their health, so they can reach their personal next best.
Let’s talk about contraception – birth control options. My favorite contraception is the IUD, which stands for Intrauterine Device.
The IUD has been around for a while now. Now it’s getting a little more popular, and if you come to my office, I’m definitely going to talk to you about it. The IUD is a small device, a few inches long, about an inch wide, with a string that comes off the end of it. Your doctor places it inside your uterus through your vagina and cervix; and this can be done during your office visit.
There are two basic types of IUDs: hormonal, which includes the hormone progesterone, or non-hormonal. You can leave the IUD in place anywhere from three, five or ten years. It creates an environment inside the uterus that is spermicidal, where the sperm can’t survive. The hormonal IUD also thickens the cervical mucus, which makes it harder for sperm to reach the egg in the uterus for fertilization.
The efficacy of the IUD, (how well the IUD keeps you from getting pregnant), is ninety-nine percent, which is the best you’re going to get ladies.
So, basically, the IUD is something you really need to think about in terms of contraception options. It is what we call long-acting reversible contraception, however it doesn’t have to be long-term. You could place it in one month, and get it taken out a month, year or even ten years later, depending upon what you need.
Women using the hormonal IUD typically have less heavy bleeding, as well as fewer days of bleeding, on their menstrual cycle, so it is quite effective in giving relief from those symptoms. The main side effects of the IUD are mild to severe cramping, especially around the time of your period. This cramping usually improves after the first 1-3 months after placement. Best of all, once the IUD is in place, you don’t have to THINK about it anymore; you can focus on living your life, knowing your contraception is taken care of.
Overall, in my opinion, the IUD is one of the best forms of contraception out there, due to its ease of use and efficacy! If you haven’t already, talk to your doctor about this great form of contraception, to see if it’s on option for you.
If you’ve found this information to valuable, please visit my website, DrDawneObGyn.com, for more fun info, and where you can download my free audiobook “Conversations on Contraception”. You can also follow me @ DrDawneObGyn on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Pinterest!
