Current:Home > MyCan you get pregnant with an IUD? It's unlikely but not impossible. Here's what you need to know. -FutureFinance
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 01:35:21
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! (8)
Related
- Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
- Chic Desert Aunt Is the Latest Aesthetic Trend, Achieve the Boho Vibes with These Styles & Accessories
- Why do athletes ring the bell at Stade de France at 2024 Paris Olympics? What to know
- Chicago Fed's Goolsbee says jobs data weak but not necessarily recessionary
- B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
- 911 operator calmly walks expectant mom through a surprise at-home delivery
- Nick Cannon Confirms He “Absolutely” Would Get Back With Mariah Carey
- Rural Nevada sheriff probes potential hate crime after Black man says he was racially harassed
- Sonya Massey's father decries possible release of former deputy charged with her death
- Video shows the Buffalo tornado that broke New York's record as the 26th this year
Ranking
- See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
- Jenna Bush Hager Shares Sister Barbara Privately Welcomed Baby No. 2
- Officials probe cause of wildfire that sent residents fleeing in San Bernardino
- Video shows the Buffalo tornado that broke New York's record as the 26th this year
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- Gunmen kill New Zealand helicopter pilot in another attack in Indonesia’s restive Papua region
- Chappell Roan may have made history at Lollapalooza with 'biggest set of all time'
- Yes, Nail Concealer Is Actually a Thing and Here’s Why You Need It
Recommendation
Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
Possible small tornado sweeps into Buffalo, damaging buildings and scattering tree limbs
Chiefs make Harrison Butker NFL's highest-paid kicker with contract extension, per reports
Kirby Smart leads SEC football coaches but it gets tough after that
Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
Paris Olympics highlights Monday: Noah Lyles, Gabby Thomas advance in 200 meters
Northrop Grumman spacecraft hitches ride on SpaceX rocket for NASA resupply mission
Stock market recap: Wall Street hammered amid plunging global markets