Lifestyle

Scientists Just Created A Self-Inserting IUD, And It's Kind Of Terrifying

by Candice Jalili
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Happy Tuesday, everybody! Let's start this day off right with a nice healthy dose of some slightly repulsive news. It turns out a group of public health researchers in India have joined forces with Stanford University to create the first ever self-inserting IUD.

For those of you who don't have a friend who has an IUD (and literally will not shut up about how awesome it is), it is the little T-shaped birth control device that your doctor inserts into your uterus to prevent pregnancy. It honestly really is a great thing for women, especially for ones who may not be able to afford regular trips to the gyno.

So, yeah. It turns out that not only is this insertion process safe, but it actually might even reduce the risk of infection compared to the normal techniques being used now.

That's all well and good, but that doesn't change the fact there's something a little yucky about the whole process as far as I'm concerned. (Mind you, this is coming from the girl who fainted when she had to insert her NuvaRing.)

Alyssa Bowen over at The Debrief describes the "yuckiness" of the process perfectly. She refers to the IUD as a "self-inserted coil," and she explains,

The coil has a long flexible sleeve and a blue flange (anyone else thinking about phalange from 'Friends' right now?) that makes the IUD stable. The device also has an extra long string that is visible in the cervix after insertion.

I don't know about you, but something about the words "coil" and "flange" absolutely repulses me. When I think about things that I want coming close to my uterus (not a topic I think about extensively, but giving it a go right now), "coils" and "flanges" are not necessarily top of my list.

But to be honest, I need to build a bridge and get over my pathetic wimp reaction because this actually seems like a pretty cool advancement in terms of women's health.

Citations: "SCIENTISTS ARE CREATING A A SELF-INSERTABLE IUD WHICH SOUNDS SLIGHTLY SCARY" (The Debrief), "Are You Ready to Insert Your Own IUD?" (Motherboard), "A Dedicated Postpartum Intrauterine Device Inserter: Pilot Experience and Proof of Concept" (Global Health: Science and Practice)