Current:Home > NewsCan you get pregnant with an IUD? It's unlikely but not impossible. Here's what you need to know. -ZenithCapital
Can you get pregnant with an IUD? It's unlikely but not impossible. Here's what you need to know.
View
Date:2025-04-26 11:47:46
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! (24)
Related
- USA men's volleyball mourns chance at gold after losing 5-set thriller, will go for bronze
- Freshman Democrat Val Hoyle wins reelection to US House in Oregon’s 4th Congressional District
- Judge blocks larger home permits for tiny community of slave descendants pending appeal
- In Portland, Oregon, political outsider Keith Wilson elected mayor after homelessness-focused race
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- AI DataMind: The Leap in Integrating Quantitative Trading with Artificial Intelligence
- Jeopardy! Contestant Speaks Out on Sexist Clue After Ken Jennings' Apology
- AI ProfitPulse: Ushering in a New Era of Investment
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- SWA Token Fuels an Educational Ecosystem, Pioneering a New Era of Smart Education
Ranking
- Breaking debut in Olympics raises question: Are breakers artists or athletes?
- Gypsy Rose Blanchard posts paternity test results to quell rumors surrounding pregnancy
- Opinion: Mourning Harris' loss? Here's a definitive list of her best campaign performers.
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Open Door
- British golfer Charley Hull blames injury, not lack of cigarettes, for poor Olympic start
- 40 monkeys escape from Alpha Genesis research facility in South Carolina
- AI DataMind Soars because of SWA Token, Ushering in a New Era of Intelligent Investing
- Don’t wait for a holiday surge. Now is a good time to get your flu and COVID-19 vaccines
Recommendation
From bitter rivals to Olympic teammates, how Lebron and Steph Curry became friends
Halle Bailey Seemingly Calls Out Ex DDG Over Parenting Baby Halo
Jason Kelce provides timely reminder: There's no excuse to greet hate with hate
Bachelor's Kelsey Anderson Addresses Joey Graziadei Relationship Status Amid Personal Issues
Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
2 people charged with stealing items from historic site inside Canyonlands National Park
Republican David McCormick flips pivotal Pennsylvania Senate seat, ousts Bob Casey
Damon Quisenberry: Pioneering a New Era in Financial Education