Progesterone Intrauterine Device (IUD)

Brand Names : Progestasert

Precautions While Using This Device

It is very important to keep all medical appointments with your health care professional during the first year of IUD use . This will allow the health care professional to make sure that the device is still in place and working properly.

Check with your medical doctor if you plan to have surgery of the uterus or fallopian tubes . Your doctor may remove your IUD before the surgery or help you choose another type of treatment.

Tell your doctor immediately if you think that the IUD has moved out of place. Do not try to put the IUD back into place inside the uterus. Do not try to remove the IUD .

Although IUDs are very reliable, there is a rare chance that the IUD may fail to protect some people from becoming pregnant. Very rarely a pregnancy can occur outside of the uterus; this is called an ectopic pregnancy. It can be hard to tell if an ectopic pregnancy has occurred. Unlike a normal pregnancy in the uterus, which stops the menstrual period, some people can still have a menstrual period with an ectopic pregnancy. These women may not think they are pregnant.

Notify your doctor immediately if you feel many of the following changes that can occur with a pregnancy : Enlarged or tender breasts, lack of or unusual menstrual period, lower abdominal pain or cramping (possibly severe), sore abdomen, unusual tiredness or weakness, unusual uterine bleeding (in some cases, very heavy).

If you think you are pregnant or if you miss a period while you are using the IUD, tell your health care professional . Until your doctor is able to see you, use another birth control method, such as condoms, to prevent pregnancy just in case you are not pregnant.

Also, notify your doctor and use another birth control method, such as condoms , if:

• you have unusual uterine bleeding;
• you are exposed to or get a sexually transmitted disease (STD);
• you feel the tip of the IUD at the cervix or you or your partner feels pain during sexual intercourse;
• you cannot find the threads from the IUD or think that the thread length is different;
• you or your sexual partner's lifestyle changes and one or both of you have more than one sexual partner;
• you have unusual or severe lower abdominal pain or cramping, possibly with a fever; or
• you develop vaginal discharge or sores in the vaginal area.

You can use other products in the vagina, such as tampons or condoms, while you are using a progesterone IUD.

After you stop using this device, you may become pregnant. The contraceptive effect of a progesterone IUD is usually reversible. If you stop using an IUD and still do not want to become pregnant, you should begin using another contraceptive method immediately to prevent pregnancy.