Checking the IUD
A woman can check her IUD by feeling for the string that dangles into the vagina. She should check often when she is between periods, and she should also look closely at her pads or tampons to make sure the IUD didn't fall out during menstruation.
To feel for the string, a woman should...
- wash her hands, then sit or squat.
- put her finger into her vagina until she reaches the cervix, which feels a lot like the tip of the nose.
- find the string that comes through the cervix. If it feels longer or shorter than normal, or if it is no longer there, the IUD might have moved. In this case, a woman should call her doctor so it can be repositioned; also, the woman should use another form of birth control until she sees her doctor.
- NEVER PULL ON THE STRING Pulling can change the placement of the IUD or even make it come out.
