- I want to have my coil removed
You may wish to have your coil (IUCD) removed for the following reasons:
- You want to become pregnant
- Your current device has expired and you want to have another fitted
- You are having problems with the device and wish to change to another method of contraception
Before you have your coil removed
- If you do not want to become pregnant and are not going to have another IUD or IUS put in you must use additional contraception, such as condoms, for 7 days before the IUD or IUS is taken out.
- This is to stop sperm getting into your body. Sperm can live for up to seven days inside your body and could cause a pregnancy once the IUD or IUS is removed. Your fertility returns to normal as soon as the IUD or IUS is taken out.
- If you want to try for a baby, start pre-pregnancy care such as taking folic acid, stopping smoking and reducing the amount of alcohol you drink prior to the coil being removed. You can ask your doctor, nurse or local pharmacist for advice. Your fertility returns to normal as soon as the IUD or IUS is taken out.
How is your coil (IUCD) removed?
- A trained doctor or nurse can take the IUD out by pulling gently on the threads
- There is normally no, or very little, discomfort when having it removed
- If the threads are not present you may need to have an ultrasound scan and an appointment for removal in one of our specialist contraception clinics
- I want to have my implant removed
You may wish to have your implant removed for the following reasons:
- You want to become pregnant
- Your current device has expired and you want to have another fitted
- You are having problems with the device and wish to change to another method.
How is the implant removed?
- This can only be done by a specially trained doctor or nurse.
- The doctor or nurse will feel for the implant in your arm.
- They will give you a local anaesthetic injection and will then make a tiny cut in your skin to remove the implant.
- They will put a dressing on the arm to keep it clean and dry and to help reduce the bruising.
- Keep the dressing on for a few days.
Will my implant be difficult to remove?
- It usually only takes a few minutes to remove an implant.
- Occasionally, an implant is difficult to feel under the skin and it may not be so easy to remove. If this happens, you may be referred to our specialist clinic to have it removed with the help of an ultrasound scan.
- If you want to carry on using an implant, the doctor or nurse can put a new one in at the same time as removing your old one. You will continue to be protected against pregnancy if your previous device has not expired. If your previous device has expired you will need to use additional precautions for seven days after your new implant is fitted
- I want to try for a baby
You may want to stop contraception in order to try for a baby. If you have any other medical conditions such as diabetes or epilepsy, it is important that these are well controlled before you start trying to get pregnant. Some of your medication may need to be changed but it is important that you discuss this with your doctor first.
Folic acid is recommended when trying to get pregnant. You can buy this over the counter from most supermarkets or chemists. We do not supply this at Unity.