birth control

[Educatingblue]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

Single, non-committed women are at high risk for STDs with the IUD, and it wouldn't make sense for them to get one, unless they were planning on having every sexual partner they have getting tested prior to sex.

Ok, I guess I am being naive on this one. We waited until we were married "to seal the deal" and even so, we still thought it would be a good idea to get blood work done. I would hope that people who are not using condoms would have testing anyway

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by Educatingblue

Ok, I guess I am being naive on this one. We waited until we were married "to seal the deal" and even so, we still thought it would be a good idea to get blood work done. I would hope that people who are not using condoms would have testing anyway

Well...to me, it seems like the only reason that single women would be getting IUDs, would be that they were planning on having sex frequently. I guess it could be a "backup" used with a condom, but if you're going to use the condom every time, why go through the pain/$$ of an IUD? There are other, cheaper methods. I know condoms aren't 100%, but they also aren't 100% against STDs, either. So with the IUD, you're lowering your chance of pregnancy, but raising your chance of an STD. To me, I'd be more worried about AIDS than a baby. With the baby, there's always adoption (I'm against abortion, for the record)...there are no options for AIDS.

[nikki1920]

I think the thing about an IUD only being for women "commited relationships" is a crock. Women get IUDs for several reasons. I'm single, and I would get one if the $$ was right. And from what I've researched, its not right for me nor my insurance. The frequency of sex isnt the issue, its the increased ability to prevent pregnancy that attracts most women to IUDs use.

Just my opinion.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by nikki1920

The frequency of sex isnt the issue, its the increased ability to prevent pregnancy that attracts most women to IUDs use.

I briefly thought of trying an IUD...that was until I took my Humans and Sex class. During that class, we had a survey about birth controla nd pregnancy prevention. Out of 100 people in the class, roughly about 10 were concieved even though the mom was on BC....BUT 8 of the 10 kids were IUD pregnancies (meaning the mom had an IUD when she concieved).

One girl told a horror story about her sister (who used an IUD) who concieved a child, and by the time they found out, the doctor's couldn't get the IUD out. It scared me (and my sorority sister who took the class w/ me) enough to never think of an IUD ever again! haha.

Right now i'm on Apri, which is the "generic" brand that the school clinic gives out.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by nikki1920

I think the thing about an IUD only being for women "commited relationships" is a crock.

It's not a moral judgement. Drs aren't saying that they only use them for women in committed relationships because that's what's morally right - it's a health issue. It's not SAFE for women to be using an IUD and have sex with a man that has any possible risk of an STD. I don't think any Dr is going to outright deny someone who is not in a committed relationship an IUD (short of marriage, it'd be hard to prove anyway), but those women have to know that they are taking a HUGE risk of getting an STD.

Once again:
Pregnancy = options (adoption, etc)
AIDS = dead

Which would you rather have happen to you?

[nikki1920]

But when you have sex with someone, dont you take a risk of getting an STD anyway? Regardless of use of contraception or not?

I'd rather have neither (I'm already a mom) at the moment, but I know that when I do have sex I take a risk of either or both happening. I take precautions to prevent it, but the risk, however small is still there. I get tested for every STD/STI every six months at my GYN check up.

As discussed on some other threads, not all women take every precaution they can.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by nikki1920

But when you have sex with someone, dont you take a risk of getting an STD anyway? Regardless of use of contraception or not?

Something about the IUD causes a greater % risk of getting the STD.

Example...you have sex with someone on time who has herpes...say you have a 40% chance of getting herpes without any contraceptive at all...when you have an IUD in, that % increases to 60% because of what the IUD does to your body. I'm not EXACTLY sure what it is...possible that the virus can "cling" to the IUD easier than it can skin...or maybe the way it's positioned.

[SydneyK]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

Something about the IUD causes a greater % risk of getting the STD.

I don't think this is entirely accurate. When a woman has an IUD inserted, there's a chance that vaginal bacteria can be pushed up into the uterus, causing an infection. In some cases, said infections can cause infertility or even death. If you're in a monogamous relationship, chances are slimmer that you actually have an infection that could be pushed up into your uterus.

If a woman hasn't already had a child, doctors are reluctant to insert an IUD for fear of causing infertility. It's similar to the reasoning behind doctors being reluctant to perform a tubal ligation on someone who hasn't yet had a baby. Why run the risk of never being able to have children?

Moreover, once a woman has had a baby, her uterus is slightly larger than it had been prior to her pregnancy. For some reason, IUDs stay in place better if the uterus is bigger. Hence, another reason to insert IUDs in women who have already had children. (And, statistically, these women are generally married. However, that statistic probably isn't as lopsided as it used to be.)

Doctors play the stats game. If your chances of having problems are greater for whatever reason (you're not in a monogamous relationship, you've never had a child, etc.), then the chances of doctors being supportive of inserting an IUD are diminished.