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Perhaps kids just aren’t in the cards for you right now, or you’d like a little time off from family building. Whatever your goal, you’re looking for a solution that will not only prevent an unplanned pregnancy but will also support your health and lifestyle.
Well, you’re joining a large group of women — slightly more than 65% of American women between the ages of 15 and 49 use birth control, and intrauterine devices (IUDs) are a top-three choice.
To help, our team of women’s health experts here at the Institute for Gynecology, in Englewood, New Jersey, want to explore a popular category of birth control — intrauterine devices or IUDs. Since IUDs come in two different formats, we review them here to help you choose the right contraception for you.
IUDs — long-acting, reversible contraception
IUDs are devices that we place inside your uterus to prevent pregnancy. This birth control option falls under long-acting, reversible contraception, which means that an IUD provides long-term protection that can be reversed quite easily — we simply remove the IUD to restore your fertility.
So, if you’re looking for a birth control option that’s long on protection, but short on hassle, IUDs certainly fit the bill. Once we insert the device, there’s nothing you need to do moving forward.
What’s the difference in IUDs?
Now that we understand some of the advantages of a long-acting, reversible contraception like an IUD, let’s look at the two main types:
Hormonal IUDs
With a hormonal version of an IUD, the device delivers progestin into your system. Progestin works to prevent pregnancy in two ways. First, it affects your ovulation so that you don’t release eggs. Second, the hormone thickens the mucus around your cervix, which can prevent sperm from getting through.
Different brands of hormonal IUDs offer protection spans that range from three to eight years. And their protection rates are near perfect — about 99%.
Unlike copper IUDs, hormonal IUDs can make periods lighter in some women, though you shouldn’t count on this. If your periods are heavy, they may not lighten much.
Copper IUDs
The appeal of copper IUDs is that they don’t tinker with your hormones in any way. These devices are wrapped in copper, which repels sperm.
Like their hormonal counterparts, copper IUDs offer high protection rates of 99% and have the added benefit of lasting up to 12 years.
We want to note that both the copper and hormonal IUDs can work as emergency contraception. If we place an IUD within five days after unprotected sex, it can prevent pregnancy.
Making the right birth control choice for you
As you can see, both copper and hormonal IUDs do their jobs quite well, and the choice comes down to whether you want to take a hormonal approach. Some women are sensitive to hormone medications, which makes copper IUDs a good choice.
Other women want pregnancy protection, as well as a break from abnormal bleeding, in which case, hormonal IUDs can be a better choice.
To explore your IUD options further, we’re happy to counsel you. To get that ball rolling, we invite you to call our office in Englewood, New Jersey, and book an appointment.