COPPER COIL

I am asked weekly to recommend the best type of contraception.

Honestly I can’t recommend these but I can help you look beyond the sales speak and then you can make up your own mind with the full information.

A quick look at the HSE web page says that a copper coil works by:

* Stopping the sperm reaching the egg

* And preventing a fertilised egg settling in the womb

And this is true but HOW does it do these 2 things?

Firstly, a copper coil is a foreign object in the body.

The body goes into defence mode to prevent this object causing harm.

The defence mode employed is inflammation.

Inflammation is created around the coil making the uterus a “hostile environment”.

Secondly copper is toxic to sperm.

So they can’t thrive or survive long enough to implant.

It’s really important to realise that you have deliberatly caused inflammation in part of your body and introduced a toxin to it.

That’s the crux of it.

Women can also experience symptoms of copper toxicity/poisoning in the form of migrains, low moods and body aches.

The inflammation around the copper coil can cause heavier and longer bleeding, back pain, stomach pain and nausea.

On a plus side, when these have been inserted (and that can be painful), they usually stay in place. I say usually as I do know women who have had them fall out or go missing in the body.

Another plus is that they do what they are designed to do with a 98/99% effective rate and you don’t have to think about taking a daily pill.

Again I don’t endorse a copper coil but I do realise that I am in a concensual, safe relationship and I don’t have to worry about this.

Not every woman has that.

If you are considering this, do check in with your mind and body often.

Sometimes it can take months and years for symptoms to arise.

And I’m sure there are some women who have enjoyed many years of great benefits from copper coils. I just don’t meet them in my clinic.

I’ll be back tomorrow talking about the homonal coils.

Love to hear your comments.