THE PROGESTOGEN IUD: IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING IT
Things to think about if you are considering a Progestogen IUD
• Your periods will change and you are likely to have irregular bleeding for the first three to five months after you have a Progestogen IUD inserted. If you keep the IUD for longer than this, it is common to have very few periods.
• The IUD could be pushed out of the uterus into the vagina and can even fall out, perhaps when you go to the toilet If you don’t notice that this has happened, you will be at risk of getting pregnant. That is why you need to check for the string regularly. However if the IUD is going to come out, it is more likely during the first few weeks after it has been inserted. The chance of the Progestogen IUD coming out by itself is slightly higher than with a Copper IUD.
• The risk of ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy in a Fallopian tube) is very low with a Progestogen IUD.
• With any type of IUD there is more chance of getting a pelvic infection. If a woman has a pelvic infection she has increased risk of infertility which means she may not be able to have children.
• Very rarely, during insertion, the IUD can pass into the wall of the uterus, and even more rarely through the wall of the uterus into the abdominal cavity. If this did happen, you would need to have an operation to remove it
• Very occasionally a woman becomes pregnant with the Progestogen IUD in place. If the IUD is removed there is about a 30 percent chance that the woman will have a miscarriage. There are possible complications in continuing a pregnancy if the Progestogen IUD is not removed straight away.
• There is a slight chance there may be other side effects with the Progestogen IUD. Approximately 3 percent of women using the Progestogen IUD have symptoms such as dry vagina, flushing, headaches, nausea, acne and mood changes. If you experience any of these symptoms talk to your doctor to see what can be done to help relieve them.
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