Current:Home > MarketsCan 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 01:43:09
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! (99)
Related
- Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
- Texas Oil and Gas Agency Investigating 5.4 Magnitude Earthquake in West Texas, the Largest in Three Decades
- For the Third Time, Black Residents in Corpus Christi’s Hillcrest Neighborhood File a Civil Rights Complaint to Fend Off Polluting Infrastructure
- The ‘Both Siderism’ That Once Dominated Climate Coverage Has Now Become a Staple of Stories About Eating Less Meat
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- Mike The Mover vs. The Furniture Police
- From no bank to neobank
- Meta's Threads wants to become a 'friendly' place by downgrading news and politics
- Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
- The federal deficit nearly tripled, raising concern about the country's finances
Ranking
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- Pressing Safety Concerns, Opponents of the Mountain Valley Pipeline Gear Up for the Next Round of Battle
- Planet Money Live: Two Truths and a Lie
- Tom Cruise and Son Connor Cruise Make Rare Joint Outing Together in NYC
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- Get Shiny, Frizz-Free, Waterproof Hair With These 30% Off Color Wow Deals From Amazon Prime Day 2023
- The creator of luxury brand Brother Vellies is fighting for justice in fashion
- I'm a Shopping Editor, Here's What I'm Buying During Amazon Prime Day 2023
Recommendation
EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
Chicago Institutions Just Got $25 Million to Study Local Effects of Climate Change. Here’s How They Plan to Use It
Netflix's pop-up eatery serves up an alternate reality as Hollywood grinds to a halt
Shein steals artists' designs, a federal racketeering lawsuit says
Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
RHONY's Kelly Bensimon Is Engaged to Scott Litner: See Her Ring
Why Filming This Barbie Scene Was the Worst Day of Issa Rae’s Life
Fox pays $12 million to resolve suit alleging bias at Tucker Carlson's show