A woman has revealed how she accidentally removed her own IUD while she was drunk, after mistaking it for a tampon.
Taking to TikTok, Natalia - who goes by @ilikem4ng0 on the video sharing platform - explained she thought the strings of the coil were the strings of a tampon.
You can watch the clip below:
"IM CRYINGGGGG IN PANIC," the woman explained.
"I was drunk and thought I had a tampon and pulled out my IUD."
And others were shocked, with one writing: "Omg 😠I don’t even have one and you’re making my uterus curl."
While another said: "My whole body hurts just watching this."
And a third added: "THUS MAKES MY INSIDES TWISTTTTTT."
Meanwhile a fourth commented: "GIRL THAT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING.`'
In a follow up video, Natalia explained she had gone to bed after drinking with friends, but when she woke up a few hours later, she was concerned whether she had removed her tampon.
Still drunk, Natalia was sure she could feel the strings of a tampon, but added that it didn't come out easily.
"I don't even know how I did it, I remember it was kind of hard, it took me like half an hour... I really don't know... I was so sure it was a tampon," she said.
When she realised she'd actually removed her IUD, Natalia said she was "too stunned to speak". She also said that removing the IUD didn't hurt, but added that that could have been because she'd been drinking.
Speaking to Tyla, Dr Shree Datta, gynaecologist for intimate healthcare brand, INTIMINA, explained that it isn't something we should try at home.
"Whilst some women may find that it's perfectly possible to remove a coil using their fingers, it's important to remember that you can't see what you're doing.
"This increases the risk of incomplete removal, cuts or grazes at the time of removal. The biggest concern is if you dislodge the coil but cannot remove it completely - in that case, it may not be effective as a contraceptive and you may experience cramps.
"There's also a higher risk of infection as you will have to rely on your fingers, or the coil breaking as you try to remove it."
When you have your IUD removed by a gynaecologist, Dr Datta says they will "check whether your vaginal walls and cervix are normal. We'll remove the coil under direct vision, so that we can make sure it's fully removed.
"It's also a great opportunity for us to discuss alternative contraception - or, if you're trying for a pregnancy, prenatal advice. For a small minority of women, coil removal can be difficult. This can be because the coil threads have migrated into the womb or the coil has embedded into the walls of the womb. Here, after an examination we may refer you for an ultrasound so that we know where the coil is and we can best decide how to remove it safely for you."
We're more than happy to leave it to the professionals.
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