Keep Forgetting to Take the Pill? An IUD Could Be Your Ideal Form of Birth Control

Birth control pills have a success rate of 99% when taken correctly. However, missing a pill, missing multiple pills, or even taking it at the wrong time can affect the effectiveness of your pill. 

If you struggle to take your pill on time, an intrauterine device (IUD) might be a better option. As a board-certified OB/GYN, Karen Allsup, FACOG, MD, and our Aurora OB/GYN team provide many different types of birth control options for this very reason. 

Keep reading to learn how an IUD might benefit you.

Forget to take the pill? You’re not alone!

About 9% of women — that’s 9 out of every 100 women — taking birth control pills become pregnant, and as many as 30% of women who take birth control admit to missing more than one pill per month. This number jumps if you only look at data from the progestin-only pill. This pill must be taken simultaneously, and if you’re even three hours off, you’re encouraged to use a backup form of birth control, such as a condom. The pregnancy rate within a year is 13% for women on the progestin-only pill.

Changing schedules, shift work, and busy schedules are just three factors that make it easy to miss a dose. 

Some women may use reminders on their phones, alarms, or even sticky notes to make sure they take their pills on time, but if your schedule is always changing (such as a nurse who rotates morning, afternoon, and night shifts), it makes it hard to take your pill at the same time every day. 

All about IUDs

The good news is that if birth control pills aren’t right for you, there’s an even easier option. An IUD eliminates this problem because it’s truly a “set-and-forget” type of birth control. An IUD is a device that inserts vaginally, through your cervix, and into your uterus. Once in place, you don’t have to do anything to it. It remains in place at all times. You won’t even know it’s there, even during sexual intercourse. 

How it works

The T-shaped device is about the size of a quarter and comes in two formats: hormonal and non-hormonal. The hormonal IUD releases progestin, so you never have to worry about taking a pill because the IUD releases the hormone for you. The non-hormonal IUD — also known as a copper IUD — alters the cervical mucus (by releasing copper) so that the sperm and egg don’t have a suitable environment for conception. Because the copper creates a toxic environment for sperm, you’re protected against pregnancy. Copper IUDs can protect for up to 10 years!

Maintenance

Although you need to have an IUD inserted and removed here in our San Antonio, Texas, office, the rest of your IUD experience is completely maintenance-free. No pills, no patches, no implants, no injections. 

Which type of IUD is right for you?

Just like there are many different types of birth control pills, there are also many different types of IUDs. During your contraceptive consultation, your Aurora Aesthetics and Wellness provider reviews all of your options with you. Choosing the right IUD is based on many factors, including:

• Your personal health history
• Your family planning goals 
• Whether or not you’re breastfeeding (the copper IUD is breastfeeding-safe)
• If you have any contraindications for either type of IUD

Say goodbye to missed birth control pills and hello to easy-peasy birth control. Call our San Antonio, Texas team to schedule your contraception therapy consultation. You can also use our online form to request an appointment.