I got my IUD a little over a year ago and literally have not stopped talking about it since. Seriously, my incessant yammering has even convinced four of my friends to get it, although I’m still not sure if they got it because they really wanted it or because they wanted to shut me up. The IUD, in my completely biased opinion, is the best form of long-term birth control, and soon you may be able to insert it right in the comfort of your own home.
A group of public health officials teamed up with a group of researchers at Stanford University to turn inserting an IUD into a DIY process.
Usually, if you want to get the IUD, you would need to make an appointment with a gynecologist and they would insert the T-shaped device for you. It only takes a few minutes, but everyone knows doctors are never on time. Most women would have to take time off school, work, and other responsibilities in addition to paying for the device and the doctor’s time.
The device this team of researchers created to assist in at-home IUD insertion is not only safe, but it actually might even reduce the risk of infection compared to the techniques being used to insert IUDs now.
The device is longer than the standard inserter, and it comes equipped with new and improved functions to make at-home insertion as easy as possible. The study found that the expulsion rates with their inserter “were comparable with rates in other studies using standard IUD insertion techniques.”
I’ll probably still go to my doctor to get mine replaced sometime in the next two years during my yearly check up, but this self-inserting IUD could be a game-changer for millions of women who don’t have the access (or funds) to a licensed gynecologist. Is it ideal? No, not for me, because I’m lucky enough to be able to regularly see a physician, and I’m not 100 percent on board with the idea of fishing around in my own vagina. But is it safer and better option to thwart an unwanted pregnancy? Definitely. .
[via GHSP Journal]
Image via GHSP Journal and Shutterstock
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Cristina Montemayor
Cristina is a Grandex Writer and Content Manager. She was an intern for over two years before she graduated a semester early to write about college full time, which makes absolutely no sense. She regretfully considers herself a Carrie, but is first and foremost a Rory. She tends to draw strong reactions from people. They are occasionally positive. You can find her in a bar as you're bending down to tie your shoes, drinking Dos XX and drunk crying to Elton John. Email her: cristina@grandex.co (not .com).
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