Pros and Cons of a Copper IUD

Women have many choices when it comes to contraception methods, from the birth control pill to barrier methods like the diaphragm used with spermicide. One popular method of birth control, due to its convenience and long-lasting effectiveness, is the intrauterine device, or IUD. 

The IUD is a small “T”-shaped device that's placed in a woman’s uterus in her physician’s office. IUDs are made of different materials, and they prevent pregnancy in different ways, depending on the type of IUD.

IUDs are quite popular because once they’re placed, you don’t have to do anything else, unlike natural family planning, where you have to keep careful track of your cycle or the birth control pill, which you must remember to take each day. 

One type of IUD is made of copper, and like every method of birth control, it comes with both benefits and disadvantages. Every woman must weigh the pros and cons of various contraception types to determine which is best for her, according to her preferences, health concerns, and lifestyle.

At Primary Care Walk-In Clinic, our compassionate care team places IUDs for women, and they remove them as well. We’re committed to weighing your birth control choices with you, providing education, and answering your questions.

IUDs: A popular form of birth control

The IUD is a birth control method favored by many women — in fact, the number of women opting to use an IUD tripled between 2006 and 2023. 

Women choose the IUD because of a host of benefits:

• Convenience
• Effectiveness (more than 99% effective at stopping pregnancy)
• Reversible — after an IUD is removed, a woman can get pregnant
• An IUD is effective anywhere from 8-12 years, depending on which type you get
• Budget-friendly
• Superior emergency contraception option

An IUD is also over 99% effective in preventing pregnancy even if it’s inserted up to five days after unprotected sex. 

The copper IUD: Plusses and minuses

IUDs are made out of different materials. One we offer that’s made of plastic, the MirenaⓇ IUD, stops you from getting pregnant because it gradually releases small amounts of a synthetic version of the hormone progestin into your system, which thickens your cervical mucus. This makes it more difficult for sperm to get to an egg and fertilize it. It thins your uterine lining as well and suppresses ovulation partially.

The other IUD we offer, ParagardⓇ, is made of plastic that’s wrapped in copper wire. Copper IUDs don’t impact your cycle by influencing your hormones. It simply causes your body to have an inflammatory response to the copper that’s hostile to both the egg and sperm, so pregnancy is prevented this way. 

For some women, the copper IUD’s advantages outweigh its disadvantages, but for other women, the reverse is true.

Women who choose the copper IUD like it because it doesn’t mess with your hormones, which can also impact our bone and ligament health. You can avoid those risks with the copper IUD. In addition to its effectiveness, the copper IUD has been shown to be extremely safe.

Insertion is simple and quick in our office. Getting an IUD inserted is similar to having a pelvic exam. Your Primary Care Walk-In Clinic provider inserts a little plastic tube that contains the copper IUD into your vagina, and then into your uterus. They gently remove the tube, but your IUD stays.

Women who don’t choose the copper IUD usually eschew it because of its side effects, which include longer and heavier periods, particularly in the 3-6 months after insertion. Copper IUDs can also exacerbate period cramping and cause irregular bleeding and spotting. Anyone with a copper intolerance or allergy will also definitely not want to go with a copper IUD. 

To learn more about copper IUDs and whether one would be right for you, call our Mesa, Fountain Hills, Gilbert, or Scottsdale office to schedule an appointment with us. You can also book one online.