For women looking to avoid hormone-based contraception, a copper-based intrauterine device may be the perfect choice.
About 65% of women between the ages of 15 and 49 use some form of birth control.1 Choosing the right birth control that fits a woman’s lifestyle is an important task and deserves thoughtful consideration.
“There is no best choice, because every person’s body is different,” explained Shieva Ghofrany, M.D., FACOG, of Coastal Obstetrics and Gynecology in Stamford, Connecticut. “And every person will have changes throughout their life and has different concerns. The best birth control is always the one that they will actually use.”
Challenges
In today’s changing world of reproductive care, women want to be in control of their choices and their future.
“We are all busy people and we need birth control that works for us today,” said Vrunda B. Desai, M.D., Vice President of Medical Affairs at CooperSurgical®, a women’s health and fertility company. “Approximately 40% of pregnancies are unintended.2 Women need a reliable long term birth control answer that doesn’t cause them to wait and worry if they are pregnant.” That makes many types of birth control less than ideal.
Taking control
That’s why, for many women, a great option for contraception might be a long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) like Paragard®, which uses copper to prevent the sperm from reaching and fertilizing the egg, and may also prevent implantation.
“It’s like having the best of both worlds,” Dr. Desai said. “It’s an IUD, and it’s got one simple active ingredient: copper. But it is reversible and can last for up to 10 years, is 100% hormone-free, and is 99% effective in preventing pregnancy.”
Healthcare providers can offer placement of Paragard during a routine office visit, and because it can be removed just as easily, it’s also a fully reversible procedure.
The long-term efficacy of Paragard means it can be placed for up to 10 years and it can be easily removed during an office visit — which means it can adapt to changing circumstances.
“Paragard is an excellent form of birth control, period, full stop,” Dr. Ghofrany said. “It is a non-hormonal birth control that is as effective as systemic hormones or hormonal IUDs.”
The future
Reproductive care has been front and center lately, with multiple views that can leave a person feeling uncertain.
What is for certain is that there are options for long-acting reversible contraception available that allow women to take control of their future and map their journey forward, however they see it.
For more information about Paragard, please visit www.coopersurgical.com/our-brands/paragard/.
1Daniels K, Abma JC. Current contraceptive status among women aged 15–49: United States, 2015–2017. NCHS Data Brief, no 327. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2018.
2Sedgh G, Singh S, Hussain R. Intended and unintended pregnancies worldwide in 2012 and recent trends. Stud Fam Plann. 2014 Sep;45(3):301-14. doi: 10.1111/j.1728-4465.2014.00393.x. PMID: 25207494; PMCID: PMC4727534.
Paragard is a hormone-free IUD (intrauterine device) that prevents pregnancy for up to 10 years using copper.
Important Safety Information
- Don’t use Paragard if you are or may be pregnant, have fibroids, a pelvic infection including pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), get infections easily, certain cancers, unexplained bleeding, Wilson’s disease, or a copper allergy. IUDs, including Paragard, have been associated with an increased risk of PID.
- Pregnancy with Paragard is rare but can be life threatening and cause infertility or loss of pregnancy.
- Paragard may attach to or go through the uterus and cause other problems.
- Tell your healthcare provider (HCP) if you develop severe pain or fever shortly after placement, miss a period, have abdominal pain, or if Paragard comes out. If it comes out, use backup birth control.
- Tell your HCP you have Paragard before having an MRI or a medical procedure using heat therapy.
- At first, periods may become heavier and longer with spotting in between.
- Additional common side effects include anemia, pain during sex, backache, and vaginal discharge.
- Paragard does not protect against HIV or STDs.
Only you and your HCP can decide if Paragard is right for you. Available by prescription only.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA at www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Full Prescribing Information at Paragard.com.
