IUDs and Implants are both great options for long-acting reversible contraception. Find out which one works best for you!
WHAT IS AN IUD
IUDs (intrauterine devices) are a small T-shaped plastic device that a doctor places in your uterus. It is placed in the clinic, kind of like when the doctor does a pap smear. The IUD can be in the body for up to 10 years. While the IUD is in your body, the hormones in the IUD change the inside of you uterus so it’s harder for the sperm to fertilize an egg.
WHAT IS AN IMPLANT
Implants are mini straw-shaped devices smaller than a safety pin that a doctor places in your arm. Because these devices are placed in the body, you don’t have to remember to take them every day. The implant can be in the body for up to 3 years and possibly 5 years. The hormones in the implant affect your brain so that the brain does not signal your ovaries to ovulate, or release an egg every month. This way, when you have sex, there is no egg for the sperm to fertilize and you cannot get pregnant.
Video Resources
Fertilization
Patient Education Video: Intrauterine Device (IUD)
Having a Contraceptive Implant Fitted
Implant Birth Control
Warning: This video may have content that is too medically graphic for the viewer.