Current:Home > ScamsCan you get pregnant with an IUD? It's unlikely but not impossible. Here's what you need to know. -ProfitClass
Can you get pregnant with an IUD? It's unlikely but not impossible. Here's what you need to know.
View
Date:2025-04-16 03:16:55
More than 65% of women in the U.S. between the ages of 15 and 49 used some form of contraception between 2017 and 2019, according to the most recent National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) analysis.
More than 10% of them used an intrauterine device (IUD) or other kind of long-term contraceptive implant. For context, that's less than those who used oral contraceptive pills (14%) but more than the amount who used condoms (8.4%).
As lawmakers across the United States attempt to ban or limit contraception options, medical experts are hoping to clear up misinformation.
Intrauterine devices, or IUDs, are a long-term, reversible form of birth control that lessens the ability of sperm to reach and fertilize an egg. The small T-shaped device inserted through the vagina into the uterus and can remain in the body for three to 10 years depending on the type, according to Yale Medicine.
Here's what medical experts want you to know about IUDs.
Can you get pregnant with an IUD?
IUDs are "one of the most effective birth control methods," gynecologist Karen Tang, M.D., tells USA TODAY, noting that they're more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. That makes it one of the most effective forms of birth control alongside hormonal implants and permanent sterilization, per statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Of course, there's always that 1% chance of getting pregnant. It's unlikely, but if the IUD happens to move or start to fall out, pregnancy is possible, adds Tang, author of the upcoming book “It's Not Hysteria: Everything You Need to Know About Your Reproductive Health (But Were Never Told)."
Can anything make an IUD less effective?
There aren't any known medications, foods or other substances that would lessen the efficacy of an IUD.
It's also worth noting that hormonal IUDs start to work within a week of insertion, while copper IUDs work immediately, according to Yale Medicine.
What is IVF?Explaining the procedure in Alabama's controversial Supreme Court ruling.
What are signs of pregnancy while on IUD?
If you do happen to become pregnant while on an IUD, regular pregnancy symptoms including missed periods, cramping or light spotting may arise. Unfortunately, many of those are also side effects of having an IUD, which can make it more difficult to decipher.
If the IUD begins falling out, or if you have any other reason to believe you may be pregnant with an IUD in place, Tang stresses that you should call a gynecologist "immediately." It's important in these cases to take a pregnancy test and get an ultrasound to determine whether the IUD is still in place.
In the meantime, she suggests you either abstain from sex or use another form of birth control, such as condoms.
Vegan birth control:What is it and does it work?
veryGood! (54836)
Related
- Jury selection set for Monday for ex-politician accused of killing Las Vegas investigative reporter
- How to know if you were affected by the AT&T data breach and what to do next
- U.S sanctions accountants, firms linked to notorious Mexico cartel for timeshare scams that target Americans
- Hundreds gather to remember former fire chief fatally shot at Trump rally in Pennsylvania
- Man charged with murder in death of beloved Detroit-area neurosurgeon
- Hundreds attend vigil for man killed at Trump rally in Pennsylvania before visitation Thursday
- Prime Day 2024 Last Chance Deal: Get 57% Off Yankee Candles While You Still Can
- Lucas Turner: Breaking down the three major blockchains
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- Alabama set to execute man for fatal shooting of a delivery driver during a 1998 robbery attempt
Ranking
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- Tornado damage could affect baby formula supplies, Reckitt says
- Trump's 17-year-old granddaughter Kai says it was heartbreaking when he was shot
- Jagged Edge's Brandon Casey “Should Be Dead” After Breaking Neck, Skull in Car Crash
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- WNBA players’ union head concerned league is being undervalued in new media deal
- Prime Day Is Almost Over: You’re Running Out of Time To Get $167 Worth of Peter Thomas Roth for $52
- Report: WNBA agrees to $2.2B, 11-year media rights deal with ESPN, Amazon, NBC
Recommendation
Oklahoma parole board recommends governor spare the life of man on death row
Angelina Jolie Asks Brad Pitt to End the Fighting in Legal Battle
Appeals court affirms Mississippi’s ban on voting after some felonies, including timber theft
US agency says apps that let workers access paychecks before payday are providing loans
Carolinas bracing for second landfall from Tropical Storm Debby: Live updates
Florida man arrested after allegedly making death threats against Biden
Alaska judge who resigned in disgrace didn’t disclose conflicts in 23 cases, investigation finds
Thailand officials say poisoning possible as 6 found dead in Bangkok hotel, including Vietnamese Americans