A Self-Insertable IUD Could Be Happening in the Near Future
When it comes to birth control, there are a lot of options for women today. You can go with the tried and trusted contraceptive pill, the Nuvaring or the increasingly popular IUD. As convenient as the latter is, it comes with one major setback: You need a gynecologist to insert the device for you. If you’re unable to head to the doc, that often poses a major roadblock. But it looks like that might not be the case for long.
According to Motherboard, a group of public health researchers in India have teamed up with Stanford University to test out a device that would totally simplify the process. To see how well it works + how easy it would be to insert they tested out the new method by allowing health providers (who had no former experience inserting IUDs on postpartum women) insert the device into postpartum women. All the providers were closely monitored throughout the procedure. All the insertions were wildly successful, safe and Motherboard writes the new device may even reduce the risk of infection compared to normal techniques used today.
Currently, to have an IUD inserted, you need to make an appointment with a gynecologist. The procedure lasts about 20 minutes. Your cervix needs to be opened, so it can be painful for some. But considering it lasts between three and 12 years (depending on if it’s the hormonal or non-hormonal option) and requires little to no maintenance, the pros often outweigh the cons. If the new technique is deemed safe for non-medical practitioners to use, it could open up the birth control to millions of women who aren’t able to make it to the doctor for whatever reason. There’s no announcement of when exactly this new device would become available, but here’s to hoping we don’t need to wait forever.
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