When choosing a contraceptive, or changing the one you normally use, you must know all of them very well to know what your needs are and choose the one that best suits you. In the case of the IUD, there are many women who opt for this device, however it still raises many questions for those who are not yet familiar with it, and no wonder.
What is the IUD? What types are there? What is
the relationship between the IUD and the menstrual delay? To answer all these questions, gynecologist tell us how this intrauterine device works and everything we need to know about it. Are you ready? Pay a lot of attention!
What is the IUD? How many types are there?
Before knowing the relationship between the period and the IUD, we must start at the beginning: what exactly is an IUD? You will have asked yourself more than once. Well, it is a generally T-shaped device that is placed where "nesting" can arise, that is, where the egg or zygote is implanted. The IUD, therefore, slows down sperm
so that a pregnancy does not occur.
Having said this, it is necessary to know the different types of IUDs that exist, mainly divided into two large groups:
- Copper IUD: it is a device, or a 'foreign body', which is made of this material, copper, which is very toxic to sperm.
- Mirena IUD: this class of devices is characterized by being hormonal and by having a greater efficacy than the copper one. If a combined hormonal contraceptive contains estrogen and progestin, the hormonal IUD only contains progestin, that is, synthetic progesterone. Within this group there are other IUDs but they have much less charge?
Menstruation and IUD: what is the relationship?
Can the IUD, whatever the type, delay or advance menstruation? If you have asked yourself this question, you already know that the period has some relationship with this intrauterine device, as it has with practically all the contraceptive methods that exist for women.
There are those who even use the IUD not as a contraceptive method, but to alleviate their period problems. The hormonal IUD is used as a treatment for
women with excessive bleeding or intense period pain, or gynecological pathologies such as endometriosis. In this sense, we must once again differentiate the two large families of IUDs to see how they are related to menstruation:
The period and the copper IUD
In the case of the copper IUD, as we have seen, it does not prevent ovulation, so menstrual bleeding can continue without the need for it to be regulated. However, with this device
, bleeding is usually greatly increased, both in quantity and in menstruation time, as well as some unexpected bleeding. Therefore, it is not highly recommended in women who have hypermenorrhea, that is, excessive bleeding during menstruation.
On the other hand, there are those who experience
increased pain with this type of IUD during menstruation. For this reason, it would not be useful in women who have dysmenorrhea, as it could worsen their situation. In them, a hormonal IUD or Mirena could be chosen, which we will see below.
IUD Mirena and menstruation
To understand the relationship between menstruation and the Mirena or hormonal IUD, one must understand how it works. What this device does is "tune" the endometrium, it prevents the endometrium from getting "fatter". It thins until the period is withdrawn, not because the period stays inside or because you stay menopausal, simply because
the endometrium thins until you stop seeing the period. This type of IUD, as a general rule, removes the period until it disappears completely, although other versions have come out that are not as burdensome, which do not completely remove the period but reduce the amount of bleeding.
For all these reasons, the Mirena IUD is an option that can be used
in women who suffer from severe period pain or excessive bleeding. Thanks to this device, surgeries have been greatly reduced to alleviate the excess bleeding that many women suffered. In addition, as it withdraws the rule, it can be used in women suffering from endometriosis.
In any case, when in doubt, it is best to go to your doctor or gynecologist and let the specialist himself be the one who best helps you choose one or the other based on your own needs. Also, you should keep in mind that
no type of IUD protects against a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD), so it is recommended to also use a condom.
How is the IUD inserted?
- The intrauterine device is placed, as we have indicated a few lines above, inside the uterine cavity, in such a way that it does not allow pregnancy and that is why it is used as a contraceptive method or, as we have seen, as a way of regulating the cycle. Menstrual. But how do you know if it has been placed correctly? How can we know if it has moved or if there has been a problem?
- According to gynecologist, once the device is placed, an ultrasound is performed to see if everything is in place. After a while, this test is performed again to see if everything is going correctly. It must be taken into account that the IUD placement process is usually more painful than removal, since it is inserted into the opening of the cervix that is less than a millimeter. These pains usually go away after a while, but if you notice any complications, the ideal thing to do is to go to your gynecologist to see if everything is fine or if there is any kind of problem.
- Once the time that the brand of the IUD recommends has elapsed (something that you will be able to see on the card that will be given to you when it is placed), it must be removed to change it for another or to use any other contraceptive method if desired, or because you have already arrived at menopause and it will not be necessary to use any other. This extraction does not usually hurt or bother, because when you pull it, the arms of the T-shape of the device fold and it is much easier.
- And you, do you use the IUD? Now you know what its relationship is with the delay of menstruation, but if you have any doubts, it is best to ask your doctor because he will be the best person to advise you.
