Anonymous asked: I've been considering the Paraguard IUD because when I was on birth control, the hormones made me really depressed, and my gyno said they were the lowest hormone dose available. So hormone free sounds great! I saw that you use an IUD. Sorry if this is too personal, but does your bf come inside you? Mine is freaked out about not having to use a condom, and he pulls out anyways, but I was wondering if it is okay if he doesn't?
The IUD is over 99 percent effective. The benefit of long-acting reversible contraception (such as the IUD or the Shot) is that you don’t have to constantly remember to take it everyday or to use it every sexual encounter in order to ensure pregnancy prevention. For example, human error plays a much bigger role in condom and pill usage. Typical use of the birth control pill, for example, leads to a 2-8 percent failure rate each year. For condoms, the failure rate is 15 percent. The IUD, once inserted by the gyno, doesn’t need daily maintenance to work almost perfectly.
In the rare instances when the IUD fails, it is usually because it has been expelled from the body. Because expulsions tend to occur during the first few months after insertion, you typically return for a follow-up appointment a month after you get the IUD so that your doctor can make sure that everything is in place. You can also periodically check the strings at home (on your own or with your partner’s assistance). Again, it’s really rare that the IUD will be expelled in the first place, so if you and your partner don’t want to use condoms, you can rest assured that the chance of pregnancy is less than 1 percent.
You can find out more about the IUD (both the Paragard and the Mirena) and explore your other long-acting reversible contraceptive options over at Bedsider.
More burning questions? Ask Lena.
Related posts on the IUD:
Reader Question: “Is rough sex with the IUD totally intolerable?”
No Pain, No Gain: The IUD Insertion Process
Consider An IUD: “I got my Mirena last April and never looked back”
How I Dumped The Pill And Met The IUD
5 Reasons Why Women Should Consider An IUD
Reader Question: “How Do You Like Your IUD So Far?”
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