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Why Are All My Friends Getting IUDs?

Illustrated By Ly Ngo.
In the video below, Planned Parenthood and Fusion answer the question: Why are my friends getting IUDs? If you're not already familiar with "these little T-shaped miracles," by the end of the video you may be asking "Why aren't all my friends getting IUDs?"  Since 2009, Planned Parenthood has observed a 91% increase in its patients' use of the intrauterine devices. IUDs and implants are the two types of LARC, or long-acting reversible contraception, on the market. Many of our care providers prefer them: of gynecologists who use contraception, 40% use IUDs. Still, only 8.5-12% of U.S. women on birth control have IUDs, largely thanks to the bad publicity that surrounded them after one terribly designed version, the Dalkon Shield, was linked with an increased risk for infertility and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease in the '70s and '80s. Today, IUDs are safe and have no effect on long-term fertility. More and more women are turning to IUDs for a safe, long-lasting, and reliable way of staying pregnancy-free (as well as regulating hormones, as hormonal IUDs do). For the full scoop on the wonders of the intrauterine device, view the video below. Birth control is an individual journey, and there is no one-size-fits-all method. But, the IUD could be the perfect choice for many women who haven't yet considered it.

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