IUD (Intra-uterine Device)

An IUD is a small T‑shaped device, about 4 cen­time­tres (1 ½ inch­es) long, that’s insert­ed by a doc­tor or nurse prac­ti­tion­er through the vagi­na and cervix, and into the uterus. Once it’s in, you shouldn’t feel it at all. You’ll prob­a­bly need a health exam and screen­ing for STIs before get­ting the IUD put in.

How to use it

Gen­er­al­ly, it’s insert­ed dur­ing your peri­od. The inser­tion takes only a few min­utes and you may expe­ri­ence cramp-like pain at that time, and pos­si­bly for the next cou­ple of days. When you want to have it removed, you’ll need to make an appoint­ment with a doc­tor or nurse practitioner.

How it works

There are two types:

1) Intra-uter­ine Sys­tem (IUS, called Mire­na)

Mire­na slow­ly releas­es a prog­estin hor­mone called lev­onorgestrel. It is estro­gen-free. It caus­es the cer­vi­cal mucus to thick­en and the lin­ing of the uterus to thin, so sperm is blocked and a fer­til­ized egg can’t implant. You’ll con­tin­u­al­ly have a small amount of lev­onorgestrel in your sys­tem while Mire­na is in place.

Effec­tive­ness

99% in all cas­es. There’s less chance to have an unplanned preg­nan­cy than with the Pill or the Patch.

Advan­tages

High­ly effec­tive in pre­vent­ing preg­nan­cy for up to five years. You don’t have to remem­ber to use it before sex because it’s already there. After a few months your peri­ods will get lighter, men­stru­al cramps may decrease, and your peri­ods may stop com­plete­ly. It’s reversible, so peri­ods will start back up after it’s removed.

Dis­ad­van­tages

Doesn’t pro­tect against HIV or STIs. You may have irreg­u­lar bleed­ing and spot­ting in the first few months. The IUD could fall out, although it usu­al­ly doesn’t. There is a high one-time cost, but less expen­sive than the Pill in the long run. Inser­tion can be painful.

Cost and coverage

Mire­na is cov­ered by most pri­vate health insur­ance plans, but you should know that if you use your parent’s drug plan, they may be able to see that infor­ma­tion. It is also cov­ered by:

• EIA/​social assistance
• FNI­HB (First Nations sta­tus) – They will cov­er one every 2 years. You can call 204−983−8886 to make sure no one else can see your prescriptions.
• Man­i­to­ba Phar­ma­care – If you have a Man­i­to­ba Health card and have no oth­er cov­er­age, there’s a good chance you can apply for Phar­ma­care to cov­er a good por­tion of your drug costs. Click here for more information.

If you don’t have any cov­er­age, you may be able to get Mire­na for free from your health care provider’s office or clin­ic. Oth­er­wise, the cost to just pur­chase Mire­na is about $350 in Win­nipeg (over 5 years, that’s about $6/​month).*

2) Cop­per (non-hor­mon­al) IUD (called Nova‑T)

The cop­per wire in this IUD changes the chem­istry in your uterus so that sperm doesn’t move as quick­ly and it’s hard­er for a fer­til­ized egg to implant.

Effec­tive­ness:

98% effec­tive in all cas­es. There’s less chance to have an unplanned preg­nan­cy than with the Pill or the Patch.

Advan­tages:

High­ly effec­tive over many years. It is reversible and there are no hor­mon­al side effects. After pay­ing the ini­tial cost, there are no fur­ther expenses.

Dis­ad­van­tages:

The IUD doesn’t pro­tect against HIV or STIs. You could expe­ri­ence longer, heav­ier peri­ods and more cramp­ing. The IUD could fall out, although it usu­al­ly doesn’t. Inser­tion can be painful.

Cost and coverage:

Cop­per IUD / Mona Lisa (5, for 5 years, or 10, for 10 years) is cov­ered by most pri­vate health insur­ance plans, but you should know that if you use your parent’s drug plan, they may be able to see that infor­ma­tion. It is also cov­ered by:

• EIA/​social assistance
• FNI­HB (First Nations sta­tus) – They will cov­er one every 2 ½ years. You can call 204−983−8886 to make sure no one else can see your prescriptions.
• Cop­per IUD is NOT cov­ered by Man­i­to­ba Phar­ma­care.

If you don’t have any cov­er­age, you may be able to get a cop­per-coat­ed IUD for free from your health care provider’s office or clin­ic, or you can call Women’s Health Clin­ic (204−947−1517) for infor­ma­tion on their free/low-cost birth con­trol pro­gram. Oth­er­wise, the cost to just pur­chase Mona Lisa 5 is about $66, and Mona Lisa 11 is about $82 in Winnipeg.*

* This infor­ma­tion is up-to-date as of 2019.