Current:Home > ContactTradeEdge-Can you get pregnant with an IUD? It's unlikely but not impossible. Here's what you need to know. -WealthMindset Learning
TradeEdge-Can you get pregnant with an IUD? It's unlikely but not impossible. Here's what you need to know.
Robert Brown View
Date:2025-04-08 07:18:07
More than 65% of women in the U.S. between the ages of 15 and TradeEdge49 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! (64)
Related
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- Nick Dunlap turns pro after becoming first amateur to win PGA Tour event in 33 years
- North Korea says it tested a new cruise missile in the latest example of its expanding capabilities
- White House launches gun safety initiative with first lady Jill Biden
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- What we know about UEFA official Zvonimir Boban resigning and why
- The FAA lays out a path for Boeing 737 Max 9 to fly again, but new concerns surface
- Actor Tom Hollander received 'astonishing' Marvel check meant for Tom Holland
- Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
- Justin Timberlake Releases First Solo Song in 6 Years
Ranking
- Report: Lauri Markkanen signs 5-year, $238 million extension with Utah Jazz
- Biden revisits decaying Wisconsin bridge to announce $5B for infrastructure in election year pitch
- A list of mass killings in the United States this year
- Law enforcement officers in New Jersey kill man during shootout while trying to make felony arrest
- The seven biggest college football quarterback competitions include Michigan, Ohio State
- Jill Biden invites Kate Cox, Texas woman who was denied emergency abortion, to be State of the Union guest
- Tom Hollander Accidentally Received Tom Holland's Massive Avengers Bonus for This Amount
- Powerball jackpot grows to $164 million for January 24 drawing. See the winning numbers.
Recommendation
Daughter of Utah death row inmate navigates complicated dance of grief and healing before execution
Antisemitic acts have risen sharply in Belgium since the Israel-Hamas war began
CIA continues online campaign to recruit Russian spies, citing successes
Mexican tourist haven and silversmithing town of Taxco shuttered by gang killings and threats
In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
3-year-old dies after Georgia woman keeps her kids in freezing woods overnight, police say
'Still calling them Toro Rosso': F1 team's rebrand to Visa Cash App RB leaves fans longing
Voters got a call from Joe Biden telling them to skip the New Hampshire primary. It was fake.