Procedures

IUDs are T-shaped devices placed in the uterus that can prevent you from getting pregnant for a minimum of three and a maximum of 10 years, depending on the type. With hormonal and non-hormonal options lasting different lengths of time, it’s important to select the IUD that best fits your lifestyle.

Read on to explore the key differences between IUD models so you can determine which is right for you based on factors such as hormones, cost, menstrual flow, and length of use. With the aid of your OB/GYN, you can find the perfect IUD match.

Deciding Between Hormonal and Non-Hormonal IUDs

The first decision is whether you want a hormonal or non-hormonal IUD. Hormonal IUDs work by releasing progestin to thicken cervical mucus and thin the uterine lining.

This prevents sperm from reaching an egg and may reduce ovulation. Non-hormonal copper IUDs create a lethal environment for sperm.

Hormonal IUDs offer benefits such as lighter periods and reduced menstrual cramps. They also last 3-8 years on average.

The non-hormonal Paragard IUD contains copper and provides 10 years of pregnancy prevention, but it may worsen bleeding and cramps for some women.

Those wanting to avoid artificial hormones may prefer Paragard, while people with heavy or painful periods often opt for a hormonal IUD to lighten their flow.

Your OB/GYN can help determine if either type is a good fit for you.

Key Aspects to Consider When Selecting an IUD

When narrowing down your IUD options, keep the following in mind:

Desired Length of Use

If you want an IUD that lasts up to 10 years, Paragard is your only option. For 3-8 years of use, a hormonal IUD such as Mirena, Kyleena, or Skyla may be preferable.

Consider how long you wish to prevent pregnancy before replacing your IUD.

Comfort with Hormones

As mentioned, those wanting to avoid artificial hormones may want Paragard, while people with menstrual issues often benefit from hormones in Mirena, Skyla, Kyleena, or Liletta.

Having said that, hormonal IUDs are associated with very low levels of hormone exposure and the rate of systemic side effects are very rare compared with other hormone based birth controls.

Think about your comfort with hormones before deciding.

Menstrual Flow Preferences

Hormonal IUDs often lighten periods or eliminate them completely. Paragard can increase bleeding and cramping. If lighter periods are your goal, a hormonal IUD is likely the better choice.

Cost and Insurance Coverage

While expensive upfront, IUDs offer birth control for years at a low monthly cost. Still, insurance coverage affects affordability. Check with your insurer and OB/GYN about costs to help choose between IUD models.

Use as Emergency Contraception

If you need emergency contraception, the Paragard IUD can be inserted within five days of intercourse to prevent pregnancy.

Hormonal IUDs such as Mirena aren’t specifically approved for emergency use, although there are studies showing effectiveness comparable to Paragard

Sexual Activity and STI Risk

IUDs don’t protect you from getting a sexually transmitted infection (STI). If you have multiple partners, supplement your IUD with condoms to reduce STI transmission.

Exploring the IUD Options

Now, let’s explore the features of available IUD models in greater detail:

• Mirena: This hormonal IUD lasts up to eight years. It releases a steady amount of levonorgestrel to reduce menstrual bleeding and may prevent ovulation.
• Skyla: Also hormonal, Skyla provides three years of pregnancy prevention. It releases smaller amounts of levonorgestrel than Mirena and is better suited for women who have not given birth.
• Kyleena: This low-dose hormonal IUD contains levonorgestrel and lasts up to five years. It’s smaller than Mirena and Liletta.
• Liletta: Liletta releases levonorgestrel steadily for up to eight years. It’s designed to be affordable and is administered through public health clinics.
• Paragard: As a non-hormonal option containing copper, Paragard lasts for up to 10 years – longer than hormonal IUDs. It’s unwise for those with copper allergies to use it, and it may not be a good choice for women with heavy menstrual bleeding

Each IUD option has unique potential side effects to consider as well, from cramping to spotting between periods. Take the time to go in-depth with your OB/GYN on the benefits and drawbacks of each.

Getting an IUD

Once you’ve selected the right IUD with your OB/GYN, they will insert the device during an office visit. Consider asking questions such as:

• How can I manage potential side effects?
• How soon after insertion before the IUD takes effect?
• How will the insertion process work?

You can expect some cramping and discomfort during and after insertion. Follow your OB/GYN’s post-insertion and follow-up care instructions closely to ensure proper healing and adjustment.

Using Barrier Methods with an IUD

While very effective at preventing pregnancy when used alone, IUDs do not protect against STIs. Use barrier methods such as condoms every time you have sex to reduce your STI risk if you have multiple partners. IUDs make pregnancy prevention easy, but don’t forget barriers for STI protection.

Seeking IUD Guidance from Your OB/GYN

If you notice possible signs of IUD complications, such as severe cramping or abnormal discharge, contact your OB/GYN promptly.

Schedule regular check-ups to ensure your IUD remains properly positioned. Report any concerns right away for evaluation.

Let Raleigh Gynecology & Wellness Support You to Find Your Ideal IUD Match

Finding the right IUD involves weighing many factors, from hormone levels to length of use. But with an in-depth discussion with your OB/GYN, you can select the ideal option tailored to your unique needs and lifestyle.

If you live in the Raleigh area and need help choosing or using an IUD, the knowledgeable team at Raleigh Gynecology & Wellness offers compassionate guidance.

Let our team’s extensive experience working with IUDs and women’s reproductive health guide you toward the optimal IUD choice. Contact us today at (919) 636-6670 or schedule an online consultation to get started finding your ideal IUD match.

An IUD, or intrauterine device, is a small T-shaped piece of plastic that is inserted into the uterus as a long-acting, reversible form of birth control. IUDs have become an increasingly popular contraceptive choice over the past decade.

There are several key reasons why women are opting for IUDs more than ever before.

IUDs Are Highly Effective at Preventing Pregnancy

One of the main attractions of IUDs is that they are over 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. This makes them among the most reliable birth control options available.

Fewer than 1 out of every 100 women will conceive each year while using an IUD. Compare this to about 9 out of 100 women who will get pregnant on the pill, patch, or ring.

IUDs are so effective because there is little chance of human error. An IUD sits inside your uterus and works continuously to prevent pregnancy.

You don’t have to remember to take a pill every day or use a condom in the heat of the moment. Once it’s in place, you can essentially “set it and forget it” for 3-10 years, depending on the type.

IUDs are as effective as getting your tubes tied when it comes to preventing pregnancy.

IUDs Provide Long-Lasting But Reversible Protection

Another significant advantage of IUDs is that they provide long-term protection that can be reversed anytime. The four hormonal IUD options – Mirena, Kyleena, Liletta, and Skyla – last for 3-8 years on average. The Paragard copper IUD is effective for a full decade.

This long lifespan makes IUDs very convenient. You don’t have to return to your doctor for replacement as often as with pills, the patch, or the shot.

However, you can have your IUD removed by a medical provider at any point if you wish to get pregnant or switch birth control methods.

Fertility returns very quickly after IUD removal. Most women can get pregnant within six months of having their IUD taken out.

IUDs Require Little Ongoing Maintenance

Once a healthcare provider inserts an IUD, there is no need for daily maintenance such as pills or condoms. The IUD simply sits in your uterus, providing pregnancy protection 24/7. You don’t need to think about it until it expires in 3-10 years.

This “set it and forget it” factor makes IUDs extremely convenient and easy to use. There are no pills to take at the same time every day. You don’t have to worry about putting in a ring or patch on schedule.

There’s also nothing you need to do right before having sex. With an IUD, you’re always protected.

Hormonal IUDs Can Lessen Menstrual Bleeding and Cramps

Hormonal IUDs can provide additional benefits beyond just preventing pregnancy. The steady release of progestin hormones thickens the mucus of your cervix and thins the lining of your uterus.

This often reduces the amount of menstrual bleeding over time. Many women experience much lighter, shorter periods after getting a hormonal IUD. Some stop getting their period altogether.

Hormonal IUDs also frequently lead to fewer menstrual cramps and less painful periods. Women with heavy, painful periods find significant relief after getting a hormonal IUD.

Both Hormonal and Non-Hormonal IUD Options Are Available

One of the great things about IUDs is that you can choose between hormonal and non-hormonal versions. The Paragard copper IUD provides pregnancy protection without any hormones at all.

This is ideal for women who cannot take hormones or prefer non-hormonal contraception. On the flip side, there are four hormonal IUD brands – Mirena, Kyleena, Liletta, and Skyla.

The main difference between these hormonal IUDs is how much hormone is released each day and how long they last before needing replacement. Your doctor can help determine which hormonal or non-hormonal IUD is best for your needs.

IUDs Can Be Used for Emergency Contraception

In addition to their role as ongoing birth control, the Paragard, Mirena, and Liletta IUDs can also serve as emergency contraception if inserted within five days of unprotected sex. These IUDs are over 99% effective at preventing pregnancy when used in this emergency capacity.

Once placed, the IUD will continue to protect against any future pregnancies for 3-10 years, depending on the type.

So it serves a dual role, helping prevent pregnancy both immediately after unprotected sex and also for years to come. The copper IUD, in particular, is among the most efficient forms of emergency birth control available.

Increased Awareness and Accessibility of IUDs

Over the past decade, IUD use has exploded. In 2002, only 2.4% of women using contraceptives were using IUDs. In 2016, that number increased to 18%. Several factors are behind this increase in popularity.

For one, doctors are far more trained now in IUD insertion and counseling compared to the past. Women have also become more educated about the safety and benefits of IUDs through the internet and peers.

The Affordable Care Act mandate for insurers to cover contraception also played a significant role, making IUDs free or low-cost for millions of women.

Consider Discussing an IUD with Raleigh Gynecology & Wellness

If you are considering an IUD as your birth control method, the caring providers at Raleigh Gynecology & Wellness can help. Our gynecologists have years of experience counseling women on contraception options and performing IUD insertions.

We consider all aspects of your medical history and lifestyle needs when advising if an IUD is right for your situation. Contact us today at (919) 636-6670 or schedule an online consultation to discuss IUDs and other birth control methods that may be appropriate for you.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remain an epidemic, affecting millions globally each year. Using barrier methods is one of the most effective ways to limit the transmission, spread, and consequences of these infections.

When used properly, barrier methods create a physical block to prevent contact with bodily fluids that transmit STIs during sex.

How Barrier Methods Prevent STIs

Barrier methods create a simple yet effective physical barrier between partners during sex. These barriers physically prevent contact between genitals and genital fluids, stopping the direct transmission of organisms that lead to STIs.

The most common options are the external (“male”) condom that covers the penis and the internal (“female”) condom that lines the vaginal or anal canal.

When intact, these closed barriers trap infectious fluids, preventing pathogens from spilling into and infecting the vulnerable mucous membranes of a partner.

Other products such as diaphragms, caps, and dental dams work similarly, building protected walls over or around genital membranes.

Spermicides used with barrier methods generate an extra chemical barrier against germs, further reducing the odds of fluid transmission.

While no barrier method eliminates STI risk, it makes a dramatic difference in preventing infections from spreading through genital contact and secretions.

Without barriers, genital membranes directly touch, rub, or come into extended fluid contact, providing multiple pathways for infectious organisms to surge quickly into bloodstreams and tissue.

Intact barriers severely restrict these direct transmission routes that enable rapid infection spread after exposure.

For STIs such as herpes or HPV that are also spread by skin contact, barriers minimize this contact, reducing but not eliminating risk. Still, full barrier usage drops overall infection likelihood substantially compared to sex with no barriers at all.

When used properly on every single occasion of intimacy, barriers prove highly effective at halting the transmission and spread of nearly all common STIs.

Why Using Barrier Methods Is So Important

Beyond completely stopping certain transmissions, barrier methods provide essential protection on numerous necessary fronts:

Minimize Pain and Discomfort

Barriers protect you from all the immediate issues direct pathogen exposure brings, including stinging, itching, discharge, sores, warts, and other irritating symptoms that disrupt day-to-day life.

Shield Against Chronic Issues

Barriers also minimize the likelihood you’ll face a host of chronic conditions – cervical, liver, or throat cancers, higher HIV risk, infertility, arthritis, and more – that some STIs trigger long-term.

Safeguard Loved Ones Too

In addition, barrier methods defend partners who may have no idea you’re infected. By preventing you from contracting illnesses in the first place, strict barrier usage protects partners from exposures completed outside their knowledge or consent.

Contain Community Spread

Consistently minimizing transmissions has a massively positive public health influence – fewer diagnoses ultimately lessen infection circulation on a community level. From STI clinic resources to an overburdened healthcare system, lowered prevalence improves life for all.

Normalize as Vital Health Essential

Barriers are essential, lifesaving daily health tools, not optional accessories just for high-risk groups. Regardless of identity or perceived risk levels, treating barrier usage as a common-sense wellness habit should become normalized across the board.

Affordable and Accessible Protection

Unlike STI treatments, barrier access proves affordable and convenient from countless organizations, centers, clinics, and stores, bringing financial and logistical accessibility to all.

Maximizing Protection Through Proper Use

Correct and consistent usage proves essential to optimize barriers’ power against infections. Even a single instance of improper use provides an opportunity for pathogens to be transmitted.

Follow Instructions Exactly

Meticulously follow all product directions each time you apply barriers such as condoms, dental dams, or cervical caps. From spermicide activation to condom pinching tips, don’t skip any outlined steps.

Confirm Correct Placement

Before sexual contact, visually check and manually confirm your barrier has been sealed or placed properly to cover vulnerable membranes. A slipped condom or dislodged dental dam defeats one of its important purposes.

Apply New Barriers Per Act

To maintain an impenetrable shield against germs, apply a fresh barrier product before each act of oral, anal, or vaginal sex.

Avoid Oil-Based Lubes

Oil-based lubricants break down latex in products such as external condoms or diaphragms. So, you should always pair barriers with water-based lubes instead to preserve integrity.

Get Professionally Fitted

For cervical barriers such as diaphragms or caps, you should schedule an appointment with your gynecologist for appropriate sizing and fitting guidance. It’s important to remember that one size does not fit all for internal protection.

Combine Methods Strategically

Pairing barriers that block fluid/skin contact, such as condoms, with those that disable sperm and germs, such as spermicides, can provide overlapping protection. For this reason, it’s wise to discuss effective combinations with your gynecologist.

Avoid Perfect-Use Assumptions

Even couples in long-term monogamous relationships should consider maintaining lifetime barrier habits. Though it may sound unpleasant, you shouldn’t rely on assumptions about your partner’s status or that their past barrier method usage has been perfect.

Explore Barrier Methods to Protect Yourself from STIs with Raleigh Gynecology & Wellness

As an affordable, accessible first line of STI defense, barrier methods prove important for sexually active individuals. When applied properly every time, barriers dramatically lower infection risk and prevent countless short and long-term health consequences.

For personalized guidance navigating sexual health and safe intimacy, you can confidently turn to Raleigh Gynecology & Wellness. Our team boasts specialized expertise in barrier method selection, usage education, and holistic care.

Contact us today at (919) 636-6670 or book an appointment online to take the first step in protecting yourself from sexually transmitted infections.

You likely know mini-pills as progestin-only birth control – the handy tablets containing synthetic progesterone. These little pills provide pregnancy prevention by stopping ovulation and changing cervical mucus and the uterine lining.

If you currently take mini-pills but want to stop, you probably have some questions. What exactly will happen when you discontinue this routine form of contraception?

Immediate Return of Fertility

One of the first effects of quitting mini-pills is your fertility is likely to bounce back quickly. Since these pills stop ovulation, once the synthetic hormones clear your system, your ovaries start maturing and releasing eggs again each month.

Bottom line – you may be able to get pregnant again right away after ending mini-pills if you are not using protection. Because conception can happen so soon after discontinuing them, have a backup plan if you’re avoiding pregnancy. This may be barrier methods such as condoms or spermicide.

You can also switch to a hormonal option such as combination birth control pills or long-acting contraceptives such as the implant or hormonal IUD. Whatever alternative you choose, start it when you take that last mini-pill to prevent coverage gaps.

Shifting Menstrual Cycles

In addition to the imminent fertility rebound, expect your periods to change. Taking mini-pills means the synthetic hormones kept your uterine lining thin and halted monthly egg release.

Removing this effect allows your natural menstrual cycle, directed by your hormones, to resume. However, it takes time to readjust. You may not get a period for the first month or more after stopping mini-pills.

Or you may have irregular, inconsistent cycles for two to three months as your reproductive system regulates. Every woman adapts differently when coming off hormonal birth control. So try to be patient while your body finds its rhythm, even if it seems erratic.

Tracking your cycles day-to-day and month-to-month helps identify your progress. If, after six months, your periods continue to be severely abnormal or never arrive, check in with your healthcare provider about the next steps.

The sudden onset of extremely heavy bleeding also warrants prompt medical attention even before the six-month mark.

Heavier Flows and More PMS

In addition to fluctuating cycles returning after discontinuing mini-pills, your flow may intensify along with worsening PMS. Why? The synthetic progesterone in mini-pills helps minimize issues such as painful periods, heavy bleeding days, and premenstrual mood issues. Removing this regulating effect allows your body to revert to baseline patterns pre-pills.

For some women, their natural tendency is much more period misery, from excruciating cramps to seven-plus days of heavy flows to raging PMS mood swings and pain.

Talk to a women’s health specialist if your new flow feels copious or relentless or PMS hinders your normal activity. Certain supplements or prescription medications could provide relief when lifestyle measures alone come up short.

Other Bodily Adjustments Post-Mini-Pill

Beyond menstrual effects, discontinuing mini-pills may spark other bodily changes soon after quitting. Bothersome symptoms or slow return to normal function don’t happen to everyone once off mini-pills.

However, staying aware of possible fluctuations better positions you to react appropriately if they do arise. For example, small weight changes are common as your metabolism and appetite hormones change since you no longer have synthetic progesterone on board.

You may notice clothes fitting differently within a few months of stopping. Skin and hair also respond visibly to internal hormonal shifts, trying to balance the lack of exogenous hormones.

Acne that cleared up on mini-pills could worsen again when the pills stop. Unwanted hair growth patterns might decline on mini-pills yet intensify again off them. Pay attention to changes as visible clues into your biological transition.

Lastly, breast tenderness, nipple sensitivity, bloating, headaches, or moodiness may onset or decline when first quitting. These types of symptoms should stabilize within three to six months. Keep your healthcare provider informed if anything concerns you or interferes with normal function long-term.

Long-Term Outlook for Fertility

Taking mini-pills does not irreversibly harm your fertility. Research on various progestin-only formulations finds that within 6 to 12 months of discontinuing most types, conception rates compare well to the general population not using contraceptives.

Evidence suggests prolonged injections such as Depo-Provera may slightly extend the fertility rebound timeline.

But for most mini-pill takers, your chances of conception will most likely naturally bounce back within a few months of stopping them. If actively trying but unsuccessfully conceiving after 12 months off mini-pills, consult a specialist for evaluations.

Care Through the Transition

Learning what may unfold when stopping mini-pills keeps you well-informed during such a personal transition. Yet because every woman responds uniquely to withdrawing birth control based on health status, genetics, age, and other influencers, stay closely connected with your body and doctor.

Track cycle patterns, symptoms, mood changes, and weight once off mini-pills. Promptly report anything that feels “off ” or worrisome. While most changes are temporary and mild, persistent irregularities should be evaluated so your body can regulate itself smoothly over the long term.

Raleigh Gynecology & Wellness has years of specializing in women’s health, and our team has provided countless mini-pill users guidance before, during, and after stopping this contraception.

We offer the latest medical expertise and individualized counsel regarding common concerns arising around quitting and what unfolds afterward. When you feel ready to discontinue mini-pills, contact us at (919) 636-6670 or schedule a consultation online.