Can I get pregnant even if I have an IUD?
You can definitely get pregnant with an IUD.
However, the chances of getting pregnant with an IUD are very low. In IUD characteristics it says that the IUD is 99% effective, so it is possible, but not probable.
An intrauterine device (IUD) is a common form of long-term contraception that involves a plastic or copper device placed in the uterus to hinder the passage of sperm through it. It is a small and flexible device, which resembles the letter T and is inserted into the uterus. This method of contraception is durable, safe and extremely effective. There are two types of IUDs available:
Mirena IUD: Made from a soft, supple plastic, Mirena releases a low amount of hormone (the progestogen levonorgestrel) continuously and over a period of 5 years to prevent pregnancy.
ParaGard IUD: It is a copper IUD 380A, which is made of flexible plastic and wrapped in copper. Unlike Mirena, she does not have hormones. ParaGard releases a small amount of copper over a period of 10 years. Copper is spermicidal and destroys any sperm within its range of action.
The Mirena IUD is 99.9% effective, while the ParaGard IUD is 99.2% to 99.4% effective. This means that out of every 100 women who carry these IUDs in one year, less than one will become pregnant.
The risk of pregnancy is greater in the first year after insertion of the device.
Pregnancy appears to be more common in women with poorly positioned copper IUDs than correctly placed copper IUDs, but it is not known whether the IUD in poor position is the cause or consequence of pregnancy. How little or how much the IUD has moved also influences the chances of pregnancy.
If you become pregnant with the IUD, the chances of miscarriage are high, so consult your doctor as soon as possible.
What is the Risk of Involuntary Abortion if I get pregnant with an IUD?
Although IUDs are one of the most effective forms of birth control, about one in 200 women with IUDs get pregnant every year. Some of these pregnancies will be ectopic (outside the uterus), in which case the pregnancy should be aborted.
But what is the risk of unprovoked, ie involuntary, abortion if you become pregnant with the IUD?
Among women who conceive with an IUD that has not moved from their site, the rate of spontaneous abortion is 40 to 50 percent, a rate more than two times higher than that of pregnant women in general. This risk is reduced, but not eliminated, with the immediate removal of the IUD. Extraction of the IUD early in pregnancy reduces the risk of miscarriage to approximately 25%.
Therefore, because of the benefits of extracting the early IUD added to the need to detect a possible ectopic pregnancy, it is advisable to contact the doctor immediately if you discover that you are pregnant with an IUD.
Is there a strong possibility that pregnancy is ectopic?
It is true that the risk of ectopic pregnancy is greater if you become pregnant with an IUD placed. In the general population, ectopic pregnancies occur approximately 2% of the time. However, if you become pregnant with the IUD, that risk ranges from 6% to 50%.
How is the IUD removed?
If you are pregnant, your doctor will do an ultrasound to determine the location of the IUD and pregnancy. Treatment depends on the location of the IUD, the trimester of pregnancy, and your desire to continue or terminate the pregnancy.
First trimester of intrauterine pregnancy - If the IUD threads are visible on the speculum exam, you will remove the IUD to reduce the risk of miscarriage and subsequent infection. Antibiotics are not needed.
If the wires are seen hanging from the cervix at the vaginal examination, the gynecologist will attempt the extraction with the aid of a speculum and forceps. If the cords are not visible and the woman wants to continue the pregnancy, the doctor will try to remove the IUD under ultrasound control using a forceps or forceps or by hysteroscopy.
In these cases, if antibiotic prophylaxis is recommended, especially when removal of the IUD should be followed by termination of pregnancy. If the IUD can not be removed by pulling the strings or easily removed under ultrasound guidance or hysteroscopy, the IUD can be left in situ. The risks of pregnancy loss with these aggressive IUD removal attempts should be weighed against the risks of putting the IUD in place.
If the woman wishes to terminate the pregnancy,IUD removal can be done at the time of abortion. You can use manual or automatic suction or a forceps. However, if the threads are visible at the initial diagnosis and there may be a significant delay until the termination of pregnancy, the doctor will remove the IUD without waiting for the scheduled abortion date.
Second trimester of pregnancy - If the IUD remains in situ, there is an increased risk of preterm birth (fourfold increase), fetal loss, and infection. Removal of the IUD can cause rupture of membranes, bleeding, loss of pregnancy, or fetal trauma. However, if the IUD is removed or expelled without complications, there is no increased risk of miscarriage.
For pregnancies over 12 weeks, the doctor will remove the IUD by pulling the strings if they are visible. If the strings are not visible to at the beginning of the second trimester, the IUD may be removed under ultrasound control if removal seems feasible, if the IUD is not behind the placenta and if it does not appear to have been inserted into the gestational sac.
If the IUD is embedded in the placenta, is behind the placenta, or protrudes into the gestational sac, it is best to leave the IUD in place. As of the end of the second trimester, if the chains are not visible, the IUD should be left instead. There will be more risk of preterm birth and miscarriage.
Can not the IUD removal process harm the baby?
In some cases yes, so you should talk to your doctor. Do not try to pull the strings yourself to remove the IUD. It is important to note that the process of removing the IUD can also cause a miscarriage, but the risk of miscarriage is reduced if the IUD is removed as soon as the pregnancy is confirmed.
Can a pregnancy continue with the IUD in place?
Sometimes a doctor may advise not to remove the IUD. An example of such a case would be if the IUD appears to be embedded in the placenta. In these cases, pregnancy can continue with the IUD in place, but there is a greater risk of subsequent pregnancy complications (premature birth) than in cases where it is possible to safely remove the IUD. Women who have an IUD during their pregnancies are up to four times more likely to have a preterm birth than women without an IUD. There appears to be no increased risk of birth defects in pregnancies conceived and performed with an IUD in situ, although there is insufficient data to draw definitive conclusions about the effect of levonorgestrel (Mirena IUD) exposure on the fetus. There is always the risk Of an infection in the uterus, which can lead to fetal loss. Many of these losses are particularly painful and unpleasant and in some cases may be associated with later infertility. Uterine infection can lead to a generalized infection, a potentially dangerous medical condition. Although maternal deaths are extremely rare, deaths of the pregnant woman in the second trimester of pregnancy have been reported due to infection when the IUD has not been removed during pregnancy. In any case, your doctor will advise you on the best course of action after examining you.