IUD and menstrual cup

Lately, we often get the question whether you can use a menstrual cup in combination with a Mirena or copper IUD. The answer is: YES, you can! So do not be scared off by the scary stories about this on the internet. However, it is important to take some things into account when you want to combine the two. We go into this in detail in this blog, so be sure to read on!

What should you pay attention to when you want to combine a menstrual cup with an IUD?

An IUD is T-shaped contraceptive device with a string at the bottom. During the insertion of your IUD, this string is cut by your gynecologist or doctor. The IUD itself is inserted into your uterus and the string protrudes at the cervix. In some women, this string forms around the cervix while being worn and therefore they probably won’t notice the string, in other women the string hangs against the vaginal wall. If you want to use a menstrual cup in combination with an IUD, it is important that the cord of your IUD is no longer than 3 cm. This can cause you to accidentally pull the string when removing your menstrual cup and thus risk removing your IUD. Of course, you want to avoid this at all times. When placing an IUD, it is therefore very wise to ask the gynecologist or doctor to take this into account.

How long should you wait after IUD placement to use a menstrual cup?

Studies have shown that after your IUD is placed, you should wait at least 3 months before using a menstrual cup.

Breaking vacuum is a must!

When you insert a menstrual cup, it is important to let it vacuum against your vaginal wall. This way you reduce the chance of leaking. When removing a cup, it is very important to break the vacuum before pulling it out. If you don’t do this, you increase the chance of moving the IUD because you might pull it along with you because the vacuum is not broken. Be careful not to accidentally pull the string with your finger.

How to properly remove a Beppy Cup?

You can break the vacuum by placing your index finger between your vaginal wall and the side of your menstrual cup and then pushing it in. With your third finger, you can hold the loop at the same time. When you have broken the vacuum, you can remove the Beppy Cup by pulling the loop.

Is there an increased risk of IUD removal when using a menstrual cup?

A recent study by Long et al found that there is a (small) increased chance of accidentally removing your IUD when using a menstrual cup, as opposed to women who do not use a menstrual cup. In this study, 1,092 women were followed for 3 years. The group consisted of cup users and no cup users. After 24 months, the numbers were looked at, when it was found that 17.3% of the women who did use a menstrual cup had lost their IUD within this period. In 30.4% of these women, this occurred during the removal of the menstrual cup. This result is slightly higher than in the group of women not using a menstrual cup, where 5.2% lost their coil during this period.

Of course, we do not know if they removed the cup properly and if this might have affected the study.

If you have any doubts about whether your IUD was placed properly, we recommend making an appointment with your doctor or gynecologist.