THE COPPER IUD: SOME OFTEN ASKED QUESTIONS
Where can I get a Copper IUD? To get a Copper IUD you need to go to a Family Planning Centre, or to a gynaecologist, or a local doctor who has been trained to insert IUDs. You can buy the IUD at most Family Planning Centres. The local doctor or gynaecologist may have a supply of IUDs in the surgery or they may give you a prescription to buy the IUD from a chemist before making another appointment to have it inserted.
What does a Copper IUD cost? Both Copper IUDs cost about the same. Prices range from $75 at Family Planning Centres to about $90 from other places.
Things to remember if you use a Copper IUD
• If you have a Copper IUD, learn to check the string each month after you have had your period to make sure the IUD is still in the right place.
• If you have any unusual symptoms like a discharge from your vagina or pain low in your belly, that could be an infection, so see your doctor straight away.
• If your period is more than a week overdue, see your doctor or go to a clinic for a pregnancy test.
• If you or your partner ever have casual sex with another person, of if you have a new sexual partner, use a condom every time you have sex until you both have been checked for sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Some other questions people ask about Copper IUDs
Q. Can the man feel the IUD when we have sex?
A. The IUD is right inside the uterus so neither you nor your partner can feel it. The man should not even feel the string. If he does and it bothers him, ask your doctor to cut the
string shorter.
Q. Where does the copper go?
A. Every period, a small amount of copper is dissolved in the menstrual blood and comes away with the period. That is why the IUD eventually runs out of copper and you need to
get a new IUD.
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