Dr Jacqueline Coombe

And then there has been quite a lot of chat recently over the past few years about the pain during IUD insertions.

I was thinking about this the other day.

So I did my PhD probably 10 years ago now on IUDs and in long-acting reversible contraceptives more generally, but...

it was around why people don't use them.

And I didn't talk about pain.

Pain wasn't a thing.

It didn't come up.

And that's just wild to think about.

It has changed so much in the past few years.

So in Australia, we have, I guess, some more acknowledgement of the pain that can be caused when you have an IUD inserted.

It's an invasive process and some pain is expected.

I think it's more than 50% of women who have an IUD inserted experience

report experiencing moderate to severe pain, which is not insignificant.

That's a lot of women.

So we have guidelines in Australia.

We have a few options for pain relief.

People might have heard a bit more about the green whistle for IUD insertion.

So that's becoming a thing.

And depending on where you go, what clinic you go to, they may or may not have that as an option.

But I guess the thing is with IUD insertions is we don't have like, our guidelines are very, these are the options we have for pain relief and it's up to the clinician to provide an option to a woman when she comes in asking.