My IUD was expelled. Should I try again?

IUD expulsion, where your IUD comes part of the way or all the way out of your uterus, happens in 2 to 10% of people with an IUD (that’s 2 to 10 out of every 100 people using an IUD) in the first year after insertion. If your IUD has come out of your uterus completely or partially (is sticking out of your cervix), it is no longer going to be effective as birth control, so if you don’t want to get pregnant, make sure you’re using a backup method of birth control, like condoms, if this happens.

Expulsion is more likely if you: 



1. Haven’t been pregnant
2. Are younger than 20 years old

3. Have very heavy or very painful periods (though these are reasons to use a hormonal IUD in the first place)

4. Had your IUD put in right after giving birth or right after having a 2nd trimester abortion.

5. Have a uterus that is an irregular shape (which can be something you’re born with or something caused by fibroids).

It could also happen if the IUD was placed too low in the uterus and just worked its way out. For people who have an IUD expulsion, the chance of expelling another IUD may be higher—around 20% (and up to 30% in some studies), meaning that 20 to 30 out of every 100 people who’ve expelled an IUD in the past will expel another IUD.
If you want to try an IUD again, consider asking your health care provider about inserting the IUD while using an ultrasound machine to make sure it’s inserted in the correct place.

Still not working?

If you like the ease of using an IUD, but are having problems with expulsion, you could try switching to the implant—another long-acting and low-maintenance option.