TV Doctors Tout IUDs As The Best Contraceptive Option: Why It May Not Be

That’s the opinion of television’s The Doctors, a syndicated TV Show that appears to be giving Dr Oz a run for his money, in USA Today. In fact, that’s the headline – IUDs: The Best Contraceptive Option.

What you know about birth control: Nearly half of all U.S. pregnancies are unintended; abstinence is the only sure-fire way to prevent pregnancy (and protect you from STDs); smoking while on the Pill may increase your risk of heart attack or stroke; as long as you are still getting a period, you can get pregnant during menopause. But here’s something you may not know:

We think IUDs work best.

This is contraceptive education at its worst. Highlighting the rare side effects of other methods and dismissing the ones of the method you are touting. (Almost made me wonder if there’s advertising money coming from the IUD manufacturers to the show, but I could find nothing on the show’s website to support this…)

IUDs are a great method, but they’re not for everyone. Pills are also a great method, and they’re not for everyone.  Ditto for condoms, diaphragms, sterilization, Essure, the Ring, the Sponge and the Patch.

All these methods are great, and none is perfect.  They all have benefits.  They all have side effects. And every woman has a unique body, health history and personal concerns that determine what birth control is “best” for her. Which may be entirely different than what’s “best ” for someone else.

Contraceptive choice is not a horse race. There is no “best”. There’s only what’s right for you.

Don’t let a headline drive your choice. Make your own decision with the help of your own doctor.

Not some TV Doctor wearing blue scrubs on a sound stage in Beverly Hills.

*This blog post was originally published at The Blog That Ate Manhattan*


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