The intrauterine device, otherwise known as the IUD, is one method of pregnancy prevention. It may be ideal in order to achieve prevention without permanently disabling a woman’s ability to be pregnant again. However, everything has its own pros and cons.
To start off, an intrauterine device is a small T-shaped copper device that will be placed into the womb by a doctor or nurse. It helps prevent pregnancy by releasing copper for the duration of 5 to 10 years. Here is a real story that tells us about the risks of using the intrauterine device:
Mrs. Tan, 58, a mother of two sons, shares a story of her own not-so-pleasant personal experience with an intrauterine device in the past.
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Two Babies Later
Mrs. Tan gave birth to her first son at age 29 and surprisingly conceived her second son just 6 months later. She realised that she was really fertile and decided she has no plans for more children after delivering her second child.
She wanted to have a tubal ligation to completely put a stop to any more future pregnancies but her doctor advised her against it. The doctor reasoned with her, telling her that she was still young and that she should think twice about it as anything can happen to her children and she might want to have more in the future.
Instead, the doctor suggested the use of the intrauterine device that prevents pregnancies for a temporary while and can be removed at any time. As a result of that, she eventually agreed and took the doctor’s advice. Mrs. Tan had the device placed in her womb almost immediately.
Few Years with IUD
It was a few years after Mrs. Tan had the device placed inside her when she started suffering from a terrible menstrual pain all of a sudden. The pain she experienced at that time was nothing like before. It shocked her when she found a piece of object on her sanitary pad only to realise later that it was the intrauterine device.
On the following day, she consulted her doctor and they conducted a check up on her. It turns out that her womb had rejected the IUD and it had pushed the device out on its own, causing the extreme pain.
However, that was not the only thing as they found out that she was also going through an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy is one where the embryo is not growing in the right place. A fetus was found in her fallopian tube instead of her uterus.
Final Decision
Mrs. Tan was set to go through a major operation to remove the fetus because of that. It was impossible to keep as her fallopian tube could explode and her life would be at risk if the fetus continued growing.
All I wanted was just a way to prevent pregnancy but in return, this device had given me a bigger problem to worry about. I was so fed up that before the operation to remove the fetus, I made a firm request for a tubal ligation to solve the issue once and for all. They had no choice but to comply and that was it.
During that operation, they removed the embryo from her fallopian tube and at the same time, performed the tubal ligation. The operation costed her as much as paying to deliver a baby through a Cesarean section surgery.
The procedure was not cheap, but I was just glad that it was over.
Though it may seem rather terrifying that things like this can happen, it is important to know that these happenings are quite rare. It is best to consult your doctor and make sure you really want it before getting it.
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