Copper IUDs

IUD with copper
Photo of a common IUD (Paragard T 380A)
Background
Type	Intrauterine
First use	1970s
Trade names	copper-T, ParaGard, others
AHFS/Drugs.com	FDA Professional Drug Information
Failure rates (first year)
Perfect use	0.6%
Typical use	0.8%
Usage
Duration effect	5–12+ years
Reversibility	rapid
User reminders	Check thread position after each period. Have removed shortly after menopause, if not before.
Advantages and disadvantages
STI protection	No
Periods	May be heavier and more painful
Benefits	Unnecessary to take any daily action. Emergency contraception if inserted within 5 days
Risks	Small risk of PID in first 20 days following insertion. Rarely, uterine perforation.

Intrauterine device (IUD) with copper also known as intrauterine coil, is a type of intrauterine device which contains copper. It is used for birth control and emergency contraception within five days of unprotected sex. It is one of the most effective forms of birth control with a one year failure rate around 0.7%. The device is placed in the uterus and lasts three to ten years. It may be used by women of all ages regardless of whether or not they have had children. Following removal fertility quickly returns.

Side effects include heavy menstrual periods, painful periods, or the device may come out. It is less recommended in people at high risk of sexually transmitted infections as it may increase the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease in the first three weeks after insertion. If a woman becomes pregnant with an IUD in place removal is recommended. Rarely uterine perforation can occur during insertion. The copper IUD is a type of long-acting reversible birth control. It primarily works by killing the sperm.

The copper IUD came into medical use in the 1970s. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the most effective and safe medicines needed in a health system. The wholesale cost in the developing world is about 0.37 to 3.00 USD per IUD. In the United Kingdom they cost the NHS about 10 pounds. In the United States they cost around 750 USD. They are used by more than 170 million women globally.