Myths and Facts About IUD

There’s a lot of misinformation out there about IUDs, perhaps because some may think that information about birth control leads to a permissive sex culture. However, an unplanned pregnancy can completely derail a life or even endanger one’s health. 

At NY Midtown OB/GYN in Manhattan and Westchester, New York, our expert reproductive and sexual health team is dedicated to ensuring you have accurate, complete information about your options, including IUDs, so you can plan your family properly. Here are the myths and facts about IUDs.

Myth: IUDs cause abortions

You may have heard that having an IUD means that you can still get pregnant but the IUD somehow “aborts” the pregnancy.

Fact: IUDs prevent pregnancy

IUDs prevent egg fertilization, either by providing a spermicidal effect or by thickening the mucus around the cervix to make it harder for sperm to pass through. There’s no pregnancy, so there’s no abortion.

Myth: IUDs cause long-lasting infertility

There’s an idea floating around that if you have an IUD, you may end up infertile for years after its removal, or possibly even forever barren.

Fact: IUD effects wear off quickly

IUDs don’t affect your fertility after removal. You can start trying to get pregnant right away after an IUD removal. It’s a safe, reversible birth control method.

Myth: IUDs often fail to prevent pregnancy

Another myth about IUDs concerns their effectiveness with some claiming people get pregnant on IUDs frequently.

Fact: IUDs are highly effective

IUDs are considered to be one of the most effective forms of birth control, with a failure rate of less than 1%. Compare this to other popular forms of birth control, which have much higher failure rates:

• Hormone shots: failure rate 4%
• Oral contraceptives (the pill): failure rate 7%
• Male condoms: failure rate 13%

With an IUD, you also lower user error, meaning you can’t forget your IUD like a pill or put an IUD on wrong like a condom. Antibiotics don’t affect the effectiveness of your IUD, and they last a lot longer than a shot (most IUDs have a lifespan of three to 10 years.)

Overall, an IUD could be one of the best things you can do for yourself if you’re certain you don’t want to become pregnant now but are fairly sure you’d like to become pregnant later. 

If you would like to know more about IUDs and other forms of family planning, schedule a consultation with our team today by calling the location closest to you or booking online.