What do you think about a 17 year old having an IUD is it safe?
@Electricskillet (31)
United States
June 8, 2009 6:25pm CST
I'm 17 and have been in a relationship with my boyfriend for 3 years this july. I have been on the nuva ring for 2 years and I am going through a trasitional period where I'm going to be traveling , and then leaving home permanitly to attend college at UH Hilo so I was thinking I would get a IUD, because this past month I forget to get a refill on my nuva ring due to all the stress of graduating a year early while working...blah. so I already no I dont want to take the pill because I have heavy side effect and am a very busy person with out a set way of doing things.
I have been told however that I cannot be givin an IUD by one doctor and that Its perfectly fine to have on by another.
the one opposing says that they can cause perminet damage and cause you to become infertal. therefor they only give them to people who already have a child. but after talking to my other doctor and doing some research I have found that this is just a percation taken in hopes that the IUD will not relive the massive faliur it had in the mid 70s with the Dalkon sheild that caused death because it was over sized and had a string that lead bactira to the womb. so ofcorse by now they have better tecnology where these things do not occure.
I'm just woundering If you have had or know some one who has had the IUD with out having already had a child?
I know people who have gotten one after giving birth and taken it out to having a nother baby and had not complications. so why would I just because I hadnt had a child because my uturis is too small? I just think its so they have less people using it and there for a smaller chance of law suits.
I hope that if my main doctor wont give it to me my clinic doctor will becuase I feel it is right for me and I'm not scared of it causeing perminet damage.
Any opinions or Advice?
1 person likes this
12 responses
@okkidokitokki (1736)
• United States
8 Jun 09
I was told by my doctor, and my sister's doctor confirmed it, you can only get an IUD if you have already had a child. The reason is that where the IUD has to be placed is not wide enough until after childbirth and the risk of puncturing the uterus is to great.
My other sister has had children and she had one put in but became pregnant, she had to remove it but the babies miscaried (it was twins). Not everyone can get pregnent with an IUD but she did.
I use the Depo shot. It only has to be done every three months and I would rather get a shot (I absolutly cannot stand needles) than get pregnant because when you are pregnant they come at you with lots of needles. Besides you can set you phone to remind you a week before it is due and make your appointment for another (you get a two week time frame in which to get the shot before it is too late and you have to start over.)
@dreamr802 (985)
• United States
9 Jun 09
Yeah my doctor told me that you can only get the IUD if you have had a child already. Also if you do research online it will say that you can't get an IUD without having a child already. I would definitely get a 3rd opinion since you have 2 conflicting opinions right now.
@okkidokitokki (1736)
• United States
9 Jun 09
There are several other methods of birth controll. I know that you are not worried about long term damage, but most dr. offices are not equipt for the emergency surgery that would have to be preformed if the UID punctured your uterus.
I would have them explain all of your options. There was an under the skin implant avalible 5 or 6 years ago, I did not research it because it was to weird for me, but if they still have it you might consider it.
@Electricskillet (31)
• United States
9 Jun 09
well I guess I'll find out at my appointment on thursday. but the information you guys are giving me is what I have already been told. I hope theres a healthy way to go around it though...
@dismalgrin (2604)
• United States
9 Jun 09
IUDs are pretty sucky... period. I have implenon and that's in the arm and even that is horrible. Want to deal with out of wack periods? Heavy flow? No flow at all? My friend has an IUD in and she is sending her husband to the store every other month for a pregnancy test. Her periods are so unpredictable. And that's just personal reasons that you wouldn't want an IUD. I say, play it on the safe side and listen to the doctor that won't give it to you. If you want something that is long term, I guess that implenon is better than nothing. It lasts for 3 years. It still is horrible about your periods and all that, but it's not known for taking away future fertility that I know of. And I think they are more likely to put in in a 17 year old than an IUD.
@dismalgrin (2604)
• United States
9 Jun 09
My friend has all her problems with Mirena. I don't use an IUD. I use Implenon with is a white stick that they insert in your arm. It's nowhere near your birth using parts so it's considered a lot safer. And they do numb the area before they put the stick in your arm. Haha.
@Electricskillet (31)
• United States
9 Jun 09
I was thinking about the marenia did you have these problems with that one or the copper iud?
@YazEid (1139)
• Philippines
9 Jun 09
Hello there
I will give you my advice which is based on my medical education , and I hope you find it useful .
For your age I don't prefer IUD , because it is associated with increased risk of infection during the first few months following its placement , and that could lead to pelvic inflammatory disease which is so destructive , Mirena is associated with less infections but it still hold some risk , but it is expensive and it is used nowadays for those with menorrhagia .
If you can't stick to pills or barriers then your best choices are :
1) Implanon , which is subdermal implant that release progesterone , it is good , effective , low failure rate , and durable , needs less cooperation from the woman
2)monthly injections of progesterone , they are also effective , long duration , and you need to go once monthly to have the shoot ..
both ways are reversible and have low side effects ,low failure rate , and they are optimal for young ages and need no preparations..
If you have menorrhagia then Mirena is the best solution ; it is an IUD which releases progesterone .
I wish that you find these information helpful , and have a good time
@jessi0887 (2788)
• United States
9 Jun 09
Okay I had the IUD right after having my son. First off they recommend you had already had a baby. But I knew this one girl who put her foot down and she hadn't had kids so she got an IUD. So you could if you really demand it. I had the IUD for only two months because it caused me alot of pelvic pain so I demanded they remove it. Pain went away instantly. I think it is really a personnal choice, but I wouldn't recommend it in the first place much less to someone who hasnt had a child yet.
@imajerseygirl (433)
• United States
8 Jun 09
I have known 2 ladies that had the IUD, they both had children though. Yes, the one lady was a mother of my friend, who it was probably in the 70s, the other one was a friend of mine who had it for about 5 years. They both wound up getting cervical cancer. I know that they are only 2 women out of god knows how many women use it, just be careful and do your research.
@Electricskillet (31)
• United States
9 Jun 09
ooouuu... scary. yeah thats what some people have told me that you can get cervical cancer.
@Electricskillet (31)
• United States
9 Jun 09
hey man your the one who was pushing it on me to get an IUD two years ago do you recall?
@CrazyMamaANJ (7)
• United States
9 Jun 09
I do not like the idea of IUDs at all. The very idea of having a foreign object put into my uterus turns me off. Not to mention how the IUD works. Your egg can still become fertilized, it just can't implant into the uterine wall, so you're pretty much aborting month after month. Plus the failure rate is much higher than other forms of birth control. Check out some of the parenting forums and see how many women have gotten pregnant while using Merena because it moved or came out. Not worth it.
I'm surprised that you found a doctor that would even consider giving you an IUD. My OBGYN won't give them to younger women because they tend to change partners more often therefore increasing the risk of infection. And to answer your question about why they prefer you to have a child first, I believe it is due to the fact that they are easier to put in once you have carried a child. Your cervix tends to be more open once you've carried or delivered, and since that is where they need to insert the device it only makes sense. Even Merena states on their commercial that it is for women who have already had a child. So if you find a doctor that will go against company and FDA suggested uses, leave. There is a reason these regulations are in place, and you should take them into consideration. The doctor in question is just out to make a buck.
@Electricskillet (31)
• United States
9 Jun 09
Thanks crazymama but I would have to agree with the comment made on your post. I really dont feel that the doctor who said it was okay was out to make a buck because she is a clinic doctor who works for the county. If I were to get the iud from that doctor she and the clinic would be providing me with the service for free.
I'm reading all these horro stories and they are not doing much to worry me.
thanks.
@thyst07 (2079)
• United States
8 Jun 09
If you're getting conflicting information from two different doctors, you may want to seek a third opinion. Also, consider the source of the information- is either doctor primarily a gynecologist by profession, or are they just general practice doctors? A gynecologist would probably have the better, up to date information about birth control options. If it were me, though, I would just stick to the Nuvaring. You can get a pharmacy that will auto-refill your prescription and give you a phone call to let you know it's time to pick it up. I use Target pharmacy's auto-refill. If you're going to be traveling for an extended period and won't have regular access to a pharmacy, you can talk to your doctor about getting a prescription that would let you get an advance supply (i.e. get 3 or 4 Nuvarings to take with you on your travels).
@Electricskillet (31)
• United States
9 Jun 09
Thank you, I called my aunt who has a friend that is a doctor. she's going to ask what she thinks about it and tell me whats commen from her exsprence. the doctor who told me it was a bad idea is just a general practice doctor and the doctor who told me it is normal works in a clinic that deals primarily with birthcontroll.
I have considered the option of carrying some nuva rings while I'm traveling but it seems like such a pain...
thanks.
@darlenelove (80)
• Philippines
9 Jun 09
if you feel its right for you, find a doctor who will do it for you. barangay clinic do cater that needs but that depends on your area. your size doesn't matter. i got iud, im small but our barangay ob adjust it for me twice.though i got children too. the problem is if you can find an ob to do it for you. you are too young.
@Electricskillet (31)
• United States
9 Jun 09
yeah I've found a clinic that said they would do it for me , but I dont want to if its really not safe so i'm really conflicted...
@x_Jo_x (1040)
•
9 Jun 09
I havent got one personally, I went on the pill. But that only works if you remember to take it. I think it was good, but i did forget sometimes. My friend has just turned 18 and has a IUD, she hasnt got any kids or anything and she hasnt had any problems with it. So i would definatly recommend that you get it, saves a lot of stress worrying about it! You should definatly go and talk to your doctor about it, they might be able to offer better advice.
@Electricskillet (31)
• United States
9 Jun 09
yeah I took the pill, and I had alot of side effects that went away when I started using the ring. so I dont think I ever want to go back to the pill. and I have such a busy ever changing life style that I dont want to have to take a pill every day if i dont have to...thank
@JeninND (65)
• United States
9 Jun 09
I have a Mirena IUD and I absolutely LOVE it! I've had it for 4 years, so next year I will be getting another one. My periods are infrequent and very light. The failure rate of the Mirena is 99.8% - the same as having your tubes tied. I get no PMS, no cramps, it's great!
The reason some docs won't insert an IUD on a woman who hasn't had children is because the cervix is tighter, and it's more difficult. The nurse practitioner who put mine in WILL do it on childless women, but only if she has the chance to examine them first, and she does it while you're on your period, so the cervix is naturally more open.
I recommend Mirena to everyone! I can't take the pill because of a blood clotting history in the family, so this is the way to go for me, since my husband isn't quite ready to get The Big V.
@Electricskillet (31)
• United States
9 Jun 09
yeah I think I want to get one. thanks for your information! :D
@Daisiesndots (160)
• United States
20 Jul 09
You should not get an IUD before you have children due to risks of it dislodging. Have you heard of implanon? Its an implant that is placed in your arm and lasts for 3 yrs. I had it recently and loved it, hardly any side effects but I chose to take it out early to have children.
