Current:Home > MarketsCan you get pregnant with an IUD? It's unlikely but not impossible. Here's what you need to know. -StockHorizon
Can you get pregnant with an IUD? It's unlikely but not impossible. Here's what you need to know.
View
Date:2025-04-14 09:51:34
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! (1265)
Related
- Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
- Texas woman creates first HBCU doll line, now sold at Walmart and Target
- Meg Ryan Defends Her and Dennis Quaid's Son Jack Quaid From Nepo Baby Label
- O-Town's Ashley Parker Angel Shares Rare Insight Into His Life Outside of the Spotlight
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- Henry Kissinger, controversial statesman who influenced U.S. foreign policy for decades, has died
- Historian: You can't study diplomacy in the U.S. without grappling with Henry Kissinger
- For a male sexual assault survivor, justice won in court does not equal healing
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- French soccer league struggling with violence, discriminatory chanting and low-scoring matches
Ranking
- Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
- College football head coaches at public schools earning millions in bonuses for season
- Former UK Treasury chief Alistair Darling, who steered nation through a credit crunch, has died
- Las Vegas man accused of threats against Jewish U.S. senator and her family is indicted
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Ferry operators around the country to receive $200M in federal grants to modernize fleets
- Ferry operators around the country to receive $200M in federal grants to modernize fleets
- Kate Spade Flash Deal: This $538 Tote & Wallet Bundle Is on Sale for Just $109
Recommendation
Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
Adelson adding NBA team to resume of casino mogul, GOP power broker, US and Israel newspaper owner
EPA proposes rule to replace all lead water pipes in U.S. within 10 years: Trying to right a longstanding wrong
Former Myanmar colonel who once served as information minister gets 10-year prison term for sedition
Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
3 die in Maine when car goes in wrong direction on turnpike, hitting 2 vehicles
Young humpback whale leaps out of Seattle bay, dazzling onlookers
Georgia Republicans advance House and Senate maps as congressional proposal waits in the wings