IUD expulsion can occur in a small percentage of women in the first year after insertion. Expulsion can be more likely for women who [1]:
- Have not been pregnant
- Are younger than 20 years
- Have a history of very heavy or very painful periods
- Had the IUD put in right after giving birth or a second-trimester abortion.
Partial expulsion may mean that the IUD was not quite in the right position. It may have been too low in the uterus and just worked its way out. This could be something that happened around the time of insertion or may be related to uterine characteristics, such as size, angle, or the presence of conditions like fibroids that can cause an irregular shape. For women who have had an IUD expulsion, the chance of expelling a second IUD may be higher [2].
Still not working? If you like the ease of using an IUD but are having problems with expulsion, you could try switching to the implant – a long-acting and low-maintenance option.
Try a different method: implant
References
- Nelson, A. L., & Massoudi, N. (2016). New developments in intrauterine device use: focus on the US. Retrieved from https://www.dovepress.com/new-developments-in-intrauterine-device-use-focus-on-the-us-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-OAJC
- World Health Organization. (2016). Selected practice recommendations for contraceptive use. Geneva. Retrieved from https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/252267/9789241565400-eng.pdf?sequence=1