What Are the Side Effects of the IUD Birth Control?

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Dr. Joshua Vogel with Carolina Ob-Gyn, a division of Wilmington Health Associates. I'd like to talk to you today about side effects of the Intrauterine Device or IUD birth control. The two primary side effects that one might encounter are irregular vaginal bleeding or pelvic discomfort. For the most part relative to many forms of birth control, the IUD has generally some of the least amount of side effects and is a, an excellent choice for minimizing side effects. But obviously, nothing is fair for everybody and someone then will be unhappy with the IUD. Most commonly this is because of irregular bleeding, but sometimes there is a, a prolonged pelvic discomfort or even pain. Upon initial insertion of an IUD in your doctor's office, it is typical to experience some irregular bleeding and pelvic discomfort for short period; typically a few hours or even a few days. Though on occasion, it does extend out to one or two months. It is very unusual to continue to experience these symptoms beyond that time; but it does happen on occasion. A side effect that is unique to one specific IUD called Mirena which has progesterones in it is the lightening or absence of your menstrual flow. Someone will might, might like this as a positive side effect; but others might not. This has been a discussion of side effects of the IUD."