7/7/11
Comment of the Week: More Praise for IUDs

illus. of Paraguard IUD via Med.unc.edu

Figleaf commenting on the post “Give Us an I, Give Us a U, Give Us a D!”

It’s been, what, 45 years since sales of the infamous Dalkon Shield IUD were suspended. And virtually everything we “know” about how bad IUDs are comes from… the Dalkon Shield. It’s also been roughly 40 years since the first copper-wrapped mini-IUD was introduced.

This is still not to say the IUD is perfect for everyone, but as you say it’s more perfect for more people than The Pill or other heavy-duty hormonal contraceptives like shots or Norplant.

If the ACOG has greenlighted it a lot of caregivers who’ve been reluctant to prescribe IUDs are more likely to get on board.

For what it’s worth, one of the biggest arguments against IUDs is that they don’t protect from STIs. But since hormonal contraceptives don’t either that’s always been a wash. But with IUDs you can use condoms for what they do best: minimize risk of STI transmission, while leaving the IUD to do what it does best: preventing pregnancy when there are condom slip-ups.

Finally, speaking of condoms, for people who could be “fluid bonded” but still rely on condoms for contraception, the up-front cost of an IUD might be relatively high but five to ten years worth of condoms aren’t exactly cheap either.



2 Comments

  1. @ Fireweed

    I’m so glad you posted! I’ve been having serious trouble finding info on women who use an IUD before ever having children. All the studies and experiences I’ve found are from women who’ve had a child. Your comment was brief but highlighted all the questions I’ve had over the past few months while trying to decide whether I want an IUD or not. Thanks! 🙂

  2. Just my 2 cents. I can’t be on the pill or really any hormonal method due to blood clotting. It happens more than you think, ladies!

    I got an IUD before having a baby. It hurt SO BAD the day I had it placed (later on, I would realize they were uterine contractions not unlike labor!). It hurt off and on until I had it taken out 2 years later to get pregnant. I got pregnant in like 2 minutes.

    After baby, I had another one placed. PERFECTION! I don’t have to think about it for 5 years! No icky hormones! No blood clots! Hardly a period to speak of once in a while!

Comments are closed.