Non-hormonal/copper IUD

For most people, the risk of blood clots is low when they use the combination pill, the ring, and the patch. But smoking increases this risk. If you are over 35 and smoke 15 or more cigarettes a day, the combination pill, patch, and ring are not safe options for you. If you’re over 35 and you smoke less than 15 cigarettes a day, talk to your provider about whether these birth control methods are safe options for you.

Skyla, Kyleena, Mirena, and Liletta are all types of hormonal IUD and they are all pretty similar. Skyla and Kyleena have a lower dose of hormones than Mirena and Liletta, which means that they don’t last as long. Skyla has the lowest dose and lasts for up to 3 years, Kyleena lasts up to 5 years while Mirena and Liletta last for up to 8 years. Also, Skyla and Kyleena are slightly smaller than Mirena and Liletta, although all IUDs are safe for most everyone with a uterus to use.

Yes. All the available birth control devices, including the copper IUD, have been rigorously tested for safety and are FDA-approved to use for years. Some people are allergic to copper and shouldn’t use that type of IUD, but most people aren’t allergic.

If you have high blood pressure, methods with estrogen—the combination pill, the ring, and the patch—may make your blood pressure even higher, increasing the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Fortunately, there are lots of highly effective birth control options that are safe and estrogen-free like the progestin-only pill, all types of IUD, the implant, and the shot. Talk to a health care provider about your blood pressure and what birth control is an option for you.

Yes. It’s totally safe to get an IUD at any age, whether or not you’ve ever been pregnant.

It’s totally okay to use birth control privately, but some methods are much easier to keep private from a partner than others. To keep your method private, think about how your partner might discover it. Some methods, like condoms, internal condoms, and the pull-out method, are hard to hide from a sexual partner (they are actually more effective with your partner’s help). For the pill, patch, and ring, someone could find your birth control or the packaging, but once you swallow the pill, no one knows you are using it. The IUD is also very discrete, but some partners may be able to feel the strings during sex. Overall, the shot is the most private method once you get it, but it could change your period, so someone might notice. If you are looking for a permanent solution, sterilization surgery is also undetectable, but getting surgery can be hard to hide (and there may be age restrictions and waiting periods depending on your insurance).

The IUD shouldn’t hurt your partner. The IUD strings can bother you or your partner while having sex, but most people can’t even feel the strings. If your partner can feel the strings, and that bothers them, your health care provider might be able to trim them (but they can’t make them any longer). Plus, they usually soften over time, so you could try waiting it out.

IUDs are very safe, and many people use one for years without any problems. As with any medication or medical device, IUDs do carry the risk of complications in certain cases. Here are some of the problems most commonly reported from using an IUD.

There are two kinds of IUDs available in the U.S—IUDs with hormones and without. All IUDs are T-shaped, made of plastic, and placed in the uterus by a health care provider. The major differences come down to how they can change your periods, how long they last, and if they can be used as emergency contraception (EC).

The hormonal IUDs release a small amount of the synthetic hormone progestin to help your body keep sperm from reaching your cervix. Those hormones can cause you to have lighter and irregular periods or cause them to go away altogether. Mirena and Liletta last up to 8 years; Kyleena has a slightly lower dose of hormones and lasts up to 5 years; and Skyla has the lowest dose of hormones and lasts up to 3 years.

The Paragard IUD contains a small amount of copper, is hormone-free, and doesn’t alter the timing of your periods, but may cause them to be heavier and have more cramping; it can work for at least 12 years.

The copper IUD, Paragard, and hormonal IUDs, Liletta and Mirena, can all be used as emergency contraception.

Depends on if you need protection from sexually transmitted infections (STIs). No method of birth control other than condoms or internal condoms protects you from STIs. Using a condom with another form of birth control is called dual protection since you’re protecting yourself against both pregnancy and STIs.

Between 3 and 12 years, depending on which kind you get. Skyla is approved for up to 3 years and Kyleena is approved for up to 5 years. Mirena and Liletta are both approved for up to 8 years. The non-hormonal, copper IUD is approved for up to 10 years but lasts for at least 12.

Totally! If you don’t want to be pregnant right now but think you might want to have a baby in the future, the IUD doesn’t change your chances of getting pregnant once it’s removed. When you want to be pregnant, just have the IUD removed and your body will return to whatever level of fertility is normal for you.