Eve:
Please check out my postings in "Help!! Need contraception" board
but here is a copy of one...
I would like to get back to the IUD issue.
I used to have many patients who were dancers (strippers) and were extremely
uptight about even a couple of pounds. After trying OCP's and depo (gotta at least
give them a try first) we went with the IUD. The vast majority were ecstatic and could
put up with the extra cramping for 2 or 3 days a month. If you haven't had kids, then
the uterus tends to not have "stretched out" (for want of a better explanation) and
often this results in stronger cramping during the menstrual cycle. Getting it through
the cervix is never a problem.
For BB's, who are even more concerned with the effects of estrogen (and
progesterone) on body fat and weight, the copper IUD is far and away the best option
provided informed consent is obtained. Doctors provide and get informed consents to
CYA (Cover Your Ass). As with any procedure, patients MUST be informed of ALL the
risks, no matter how remote, and this discussion of the risks often uneccessarily
scares patients such as Star. As a result, they tend to scare off other patients..."I
would say the odds are 8 out of 10 women have them removed after insertion
because of complications.......Cramping......bleeding.....yada yada yada" (Thank you,
Star...(Remember what I said earlier about SAMPLING ERROR?) Don't get me wrong,
this is as much Stars doctor's fault as it is hers. I place approximately 100 IUD's yearly
and I have removed perhaps 6 of them.
The IUD can be a bit pricey though, as the Paragard T380 costs me $297.50
wholesale. Plus you gotta pay the doc to put it in, average total- around $450-$500.
Most insurances do cover it though. If you don't like it, you can have it taken it out.
Only 10% of women experience significant side effects and of those 10%, 90%
experience resolution of these symptoms within the first three months. Failure rates
are typically less than 1%.
As for the hormonal methods, you have to give them a try to find out how they will
affect you. After all, you spend YEARS building, shaping, and defining your bodies,
what's a few extra months to find an effective contraceptive?
And yes, as a few have noted, when you're not having your periods, it is harder to get
pregnant. Anovulation (not ovulating) is usually the cause, whether it be central
(hypogonadotrophic- from the brain) or ovarian (ovaries not working). If you're not
ovulating, it's pretty tough to get pregnant. The problem is that there are 12 months a
year for a "breakthrough" ovulation to occur, and because ovulation preceeds
menstruation, you only know about it once it's too late...
Bottom line, you
CAN use the IUD even if you haven't had but still want kids in the future.
babydoc
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, the strings?
