A new TikTok trend has raised concerns among doctors as some women are seen pulling out their IUDs at home and also posting them on social media platforms. Doctors have slammed the dangerous TikTok trend that encourages women to remove their IUD without the help of a medical professional. Doctors have warned that removing the IUD or contraceptive coils without a trained medical professional can result in pain, bleeding or further embedding and even bring the uterus down with it.
Doctors have revealed that removing one's own contraceptive coil is unsafe. Moreover, doctors are better equipped to handle any complications during the procedure that might occur when the IUD is being removed. Women who have IUD inserted sometimes experience bleeding and cramping, which may indicate that the device is in the wrong position.
"When a woman has these symptoms with an IUD in place that might be because the IUD is mispositioned already. So if it's positioned in the wrong way that can cause cramps, it can be painful, sometimes the bleeding is a little bit off," Dr. Anar Yukhayev explained and further added, "If you're already starting off in a place where it's not positioned (properly) trying to then pull it out yourself ... you can make a bad matter worse."
Recently, a social media video shared by Martisha Perry, a biology major at the University of Georgia removing her own IUD racked up over 20,000 views. Perry said she experienced terrible symptoms from her IUD including severe cramps, heavy flow during periods, arthritic flare-ups, and felt generally unwell.
She revealed that when she went to get her IUD removed after a year and a half, she learned she would have to spend over $165 in addition to a copay that was restricted at the time.
"I read online about other women removing their own IUDs, so I decided to remove mine as well," Perry said.
What is IUD?
IUD or intrauterine device is a popular choice of small contraceptive device that is embedded into the uterus of a woman to prevent pregnancy. This device is 99 percent effective in preventing pregnancy. It is a T-shaped device that is usually inserted while a woman is on periods as long as she is not pregnant.
Is it safe to remove IUD at home?
No, it is not safe to remove IUD at home. Removal of IUD is done by trained medical professionals. Moreover, the procedure takes less than 10 minutes when done by a medical expert.
