Intrauterine devices, or IUDs, a commonly used contractive method worldwide, account for only 2 percent of the contractive market in the United States, the Indiana University Medical Group reports. The two types of IUDs currently available in the United States are ParaGard, a copper releasing IUD and Mirena, which releases synthetic progesterone. ParaGard, which remains effective up to 10 years, prevents pregnancy by interfering with sperm motility and implantation, and has a less than 1 percent failure rate a year, Drugs.com reports. Like any medical device, copper IUDs can have side effects, some possibly serious.
Insertion Side Effects
Cramping often occurs at the time of IUD insertion and may last one to two days thereafter. Backache may accompany cramping. Taking a non steroidal anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen an hour before insertion helps reduce pain and cramping. Some women feel lightheaded and dizzy at the time of insertion, Drugs.com warns, and should lie down until the feeling passes and then get up slowly.
Menstrual Changes
Menstrual changes are the most common side effect of copper IUDs. Prolonged, heavy periods and spotting between periods can cause anemia, or low red blood cell count. Heavy bleeding and pain account for 12 percent of cases of discontinuation of ParaGard, Drugs.com states.
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
The risk of pelvic inflammatory disease, also known as PID, once considered a side effect or risk of ParaGard, has been shown to increase only during insertion, the University of Maryland Medical Center reports. Approximately 10 in 1,000 women develop PID, characterized by abdominal pain, fever, vaginal bleeding or discharge or pain during sex.
Uterine Issues
Expulsion of the IUD occurs in 2 to 8 percent of cases in the first year, most often in the first three months, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Women who have had children prove more likely to expel an IUD than women who have never given birth, Hall Health Primary Care Center states. Perforation of the uterus occurs in 1 in 1,000 women with IUDs each year. The copper in ParaGard can cause scar tissue in the abdominal cavity if the device isn’t promptly removed, states Drugs.com. ParaGard may also become embedded in the uterine wall, which complicates removal.
Pregnancy Side Effects
If a woman becomes pregnant, she has more of a risk of having an ectopic pregnancy than if she became pregnant without an IUD. Five percent of pregnancies that occur in women with a copper IUD are ectopic, Hall Health reports. The risk of miscarriage doubles and the risk of preterm labor increases fourfold if the IUD remains in place. Removing the IUD immediately after a pregnancy is diagnosed reduces the risk of miscarriage to around 20 percent, close to the normal rate, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Other Side Effects
Nausea, vaginitis, a vaginal infection, painful sex, vaginal discharge or vaginal itching may all occur with copper IUDS, according to the MayoClinic.com.
