SEX ED: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

OK. It actually stands for “intrauterine device,” but it’s a very reliable birth control method.

The IUD is an especially good option for partners in a stable, mutually monogamous relationship — fancy words for two people who are only having sex with each other. For them it can be a no-hassle, long-term contraceptive.

Most IUD users have had children, but responsible young women who have never been pregnant can use them too.

The IUD is a small T-shaped plastic piece with two short strings at one end of it. It is placed in the uterus and prevents pregnancy by disturbing the travel and function of sperm as they make their way towards the fallopian tubes.

It can be placed in the uterus by a doctor in the office and is not much more involved than getting a pap smear. See your nurse or doctor a week later to check for any problems — you can learn to check for strings.

Check after each period to make sure it’s still in place. Removing IUDs is also simple and fertility returns immediately.

Two IUDs are available in Canada. The more common type is the Copper T 380 which can be used for up to 12 years before changing it. It’s failure rate is 0.8 per cent, so in one year, one in 125 women will become pregnant.

A disadvantage of this IUD is that many women have heavier periods and some have cramping around the time of insertion. Both cramping and bleeding can be alleviated by taking ibuprofen (or other anti-inflammatory medications).

The other IUD — called Mirena — has progesterone in it, which is similar to the hormone that is in the shot. This IUD needs to be changed every five to eight years. It has the advantage of decreasing menstrual blood flow and cramping and is even more effective at preventing pregnancy (only one in 1,000 women will conceive accidentally while using it).

If you do become pregnant with an IUD in place and wish to continue with the pregnancy, it is best to have the device removed as soon as possible. This is because later in pregnancy there is an increased risk of miscarriage and early labour if the IUD is left in place.

There is a commonly held, but totally incorrect, belief that IUDs can cause ectopic — tubal — pregnancies. In fact, overall the rates are lower.

While there are very few conceptions in women using the IUD, because it’s so effective at preventing normal pregnancies, the relative number of tubal pregnancies is increased.

In the first few weeks after insertion, there is a slightly increased risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease. This is why it is recommended that women with multiple partners, who are at higher risk of STDs, choose another birth control method.

While IUD’s can be an excellent choice to prevent pregnancy, they are no barrier to STD’s: no glove, no love. Don’t forget those condoms!

Next week: diaphragms and spermicides.