Risks

Less than 1 percent of women who use ParaGard will get pregnant in the first year of typical use. Over time, risk of pregnancy in women who use ParaGard remains low.

If you do conceive while using ParaGard, you're at high risk of an ectopic pregnancy — when the fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube. But because ParaGard prevents most pregnancies, the overall risk of having an ectopic pregnancy is lower than it is for sexually active women who don't use contraception.

ParaGard doesn't offer protection from sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Side effects associated with ParaGard include:

• Bleeding between periods
• Cramps
• Severe menstrual pain and heavy bleeding

It's also possible to expel ParaGard from your uterus. You might not feel the expulsion if it occurs.

You may be more likely to expel ParaGard if you:

• Have never been pregnant
• Have heavy or prolonged periods
• Have severe menstrual pain
• Previously expelled an IUD
• Are younger than age 25
• Had the IUD inserted immediately after childbirth