Definitely not something to freak out about! This will not decrease how well your IUD works or make complications more likely. You can continue to check after that if it eases your mind or if you simply find it interesting to get to know your body a little bit better. Jessica Shepherd , M.
Shepherd is also seen regularly as an expert on TV and radio. SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.
An IUD is a T-shaped device that goes into your uterus with strings extending through your cervix into your vagina. Those strings serve a few purposes. You might be wondering, Wait, where else could my IUD go? Good question. Checking your strings is simple: Insert a finger into your vagina and feel up toward your cervix.
Thankfully, your next period may push the strings back to their original position. If not, check in with your doctor. Here are some risk factors to look out for:.
Perforation happens when your IUD pokes through your uterus or cervix. Perforation is rare; according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists , it only happens in 0. The uterus was designed to grow a baby, so expansion is its jam. But sometimes the uterus may enlarge for other reasons. A common perpetrator behind uterine enlargement are uterine fibroids. An estimated 80 percent of women will develop a uterine fibroid at some point in her life.
Malposition can occur for a few reasons. If your uterine cavity is too small, the IUD may not fit properly. Or an inexperienced medical professional may have inserted it incorrectly, causing it to tilt inside the uterus. When it comes to IUDs, you have to listen to your body. If you notice a huge change in your blood flow — especially if you have extremely heavy bleeding — schedule a checkup. They may use a cytobrush to help them find the strings. It all sounds scary, but fear not.
It feels like a pap smear. You probably had this done when your IUD was first inserted to make sure it was placed properly. If your IUD is missing, your doctor may do an X-ray to see if it snuck out of your uterus and entered your abdominal cavity. In the rare instance that your uterus has been perforated, you will have to have the IUD surgically removed. That IUD has little strings that hang down into your vagina—and they're not just there for show.
For the record, though, that's not necessarily mandatory, says Jessica Shepherd, M. There's no risk to not checking those strings on the reg. Sit down or squat and insert a finger into your vagina to feel for the strings. But don't expect for your IUD strings to feel like the ones on your tampons.
One thing to remember, though: Don't tug on those IUD strings—if the device comes out even just a little bit, you may lose protection, and your doctor may have to fully remove the IUD, according to Planned Parenthood. Your IUD could have moved further up in your uterus taking the strings with it and you just may not be able to reach high enough in your vaginal canal to feel it, she says. Neither of those situations are worrisome—as long as the IUD is still in your uterus, you're still protected.
Sometimes, though, not feeling your IUD strings can mean the IUD fell out and you may not have noticed —which can put you at risk for unintended pregnancies, since you're no longer protected. And, in very rare circumstances, not feeling your IUD strings can mean the IUD perforated your uterus—meaning it pierced through your uterine wall and is hanging out somewhere in your body it's not supposed to.
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