What are the possible risks of using an IUD?
Possible risks associated with the insertion procedure include: • Abdominal pain Following insertion, some women notice abdominal cramping pain for up to a few weeks. This appears to be more common in women who have not had children. • Perforation This is a rare but serious complication where the IUD device passes through the wall of the uterus into the pelvic area, usually at the time of, or shortly after insertion. This may occur in about 1 per 400 insertions. This requires surgery under a general anaesthetic to remove the IUD. Some studies have found that women who have recently given birth may have an increased risk of this complication, however all women may be at risk of this rare event occurring. • Expulsion Sometimes the IUD device may be partially or completely pushed out of the uterus. It occurs in about 5 per 100 insertions and is most common in the months following insertion. It is important to regularly check for the threads, to detect if this has occurred, as the IUD won’
