Undergoing scans can reduce pain of contraceptive coil fittings as TV presenter Davina McCall showed
Undergoing scans while inserting contraceptive coils can reduce pain, as TV presenter Davina McCall showed in the Channel 4 documentary
- Having an ultrasound while the contraceptive coil is in place can reduce pain
- TV presenter Davina McCall had her flushing procedure filmed for the Channel 4 documentary
Having an ultrasound while a contraceptive coil is in place can reduce pain and reduce the risk of complications, a study finds.
Doctors use the images created by high-frequency sound waves to guide the device into the uterus so it doesn’t end up in the wrong position.
If the T-shaped coil, made of copper or plastic, is placed incorrectly, it can press on muscles or become loose, causing pain and bleeding.
Each year around a million women in the UK undergo the procedure – usually performed in sexual health clinics or GP surgeries – which reduces the risk of pregnancy by 99 per cent and also combats menopausal symptoms.
TV presenter Davina McCall had her spiral procedure filmed for Channel 4 documentary Pill Revolution last month, in which she explored concerns over the contraceptive pill. The 55-year-old has the Mirena coil, which releases a synthetic hormone that mimics the effects of progesterone to block pregnancy. In the show, she describes the painful assembly.
TV presenter Davina McCall had her spiral procedure filmed last month for Channel 4 documentary Pill Revolution, in which she explored concerns over the contraceptive pill
If the T-shaped coil (pictured) – made of copper or plastic – is placed incorrectly, it can press on muscles or become detached, causing pain and bleeding
But data published in the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine shows that when the adjustment is made using an ultrasound, patients experience much less pain. The gynecologists also found that the scan sped up the procedure and reduced the risk of the device coming loose later on.
Currently, ultrasounds are only offered to hospitalized women with a history of difficult adjustments. Some doctors argue the new findings mean everyone should get a scan.
‘It’s hard to argue that it shouldn’t be standard practice,’ says Dr Joel Naftalin, gynecologist consultant at University College London.
But other doctors have warned that rolling out the procedure could be difficult.
‘Most GPs are not trained to use this scan and don’t have an ultrasound machine in their practice,’ says Dr Philippa Kaye, a GP specializing in women’s health.