Sexual Health Birth Control Types of IUDs Risks of Becoming Pregnant With an IUD By Dawn Stacey, PhD, LMHC Dawn Stacey, PhD, LMHC LinkedIn Twitter Dawn Stacey, PhD, LMHC, is a published author, college professor, and mental health consultant with over 15 years of counseling experience. Learn about our editorial process Updated on December 25, 2021 Medically reviewed Verywell Health articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and healthcare professionals. These medical reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Anita Sadaty, MD Medically reviewed by Anita Sadaty, MD Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Anita Sadaty, MD, is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist at North Shore University Hospital and founder of Redefining Health Medical. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Intrauterine devices (IUDs)—small, flexible devices shaped like the letter T that are inserted into a woman's uterus by a healthcare provider—are one of the most effective reversible methods of birth control available. That said, around one of 100 women with an IUD get pregnant each year, with the highest risk occurring within the first year following the insertion. While it is rare to become pregnant with an IUD, it does occur, and it is important to learn about the risks and complications associated with an IUD pregnancy. What Happens When You Need an IUD Inserted? Lalocracio / Getty Images What to Do According to a 2018 review in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, unintended pregnancy rates in the first year after IUD insertion are 0.8% for the non-hormonal IUD and 0.2% for the hormonal IUDs. If you suspect that you have conceived while using an IUD, there are three steps you should immediately take: Take a pregnancy test. You can take a home pregnancy test or schedule a blood pregnancy test with your healthcare provider. See your practitioner. Getting pregnant while using an IUD increases the risk of an ectopic pregnancy (in which the egg implants outside of the uterus). If pregnancy has occurred, it is important to see your obstetrician as soon as possible. Have the IUD removed. Should you have a viable, non-ectopic pregnancy while your IUD is in place, your medical professional will likely recommend the removal of your IUD. Never remove an IUD on your own as it can lead to pregnancy complications. It is not uncommon for women with an IUD to assume incorrectly they are pregnant. This is because, after a period or irregular bleeding following the insertion, some will stop having periods altogether. If in doubt, get a pregnancy test. Is an IUD Right for Me? Potential Risks There are several reasons why healthcare providers will recommend IUD removal for the health of yourself and your baby. This includes the increased risk of miscarriage, infection, and preterm delivery. Removing the IUD significantly reduces the risk of complications but does not eliminate them. Miscarriage Women who become pregnant with an IUD are more likely to miscarry than women who do not. Studies have shown that women who decide to leave the IUD in after conception have a 40% to 50% greater risk of a miscarriage than women who have them removed. Removing the IUD early in pregnancy appears to reduce the risk of miscarriage. However, the overall risk of miscarriage is still higher than a woman who gets pregnant without an IUD. Preterm Birth In addition to miscarriage, leaving an IUD in place during your pregnancy increases the likelihood of preterm birth. Some studies suggest that doing so increases the risk of preterm birth by up to five-fold compared to women who have them removed. Studies have shown that the removal of an IUD after conception reduces the rate of miscarriage from 54% to 20% and preterm delivery from 18% to 4%. Infection There is always the possibility that an infection called chorioamnionitis may occur in women who have IUDs. Chorioamnionitis—an infection of the placental membranes as well as the amniotic fluid that surrounds the baby—is serious and potentially life-threatening. As with preterm birth and miscarriage, having your IUD taken out decreases the risk of chorioamnionitis, but not to zero. Placental Abruption There may also be a link between becoming pregnant with an IUD and developing placental abruption, a complication in which the placenta separates from the uterus either before or during delivery. Such an event can lead to significant blood loss, pregnancy loss, and, in some cases, death to the mother. Hormone Exposure Of the five IDUs approved for use in the United States, one is non-hormonal (Paragard) and the other four are hormonal: Kyleena Liletta Mirena Skyla If you become pregnant with a hormonal IUD, the device will continue to deliver the hormone progestin to the uterus. The effect of such exposure on the baby has not been established, although animal studies have suggested that it may increase the risk of birth defects. How to Choose the Right IUD A Word From Verywell Learning about the possible risks and complications associated with an IUD can be daunting and sway you from using the device. But, as with any form of birth control, there are benefits as well as consequences of use. If you do become pregnant while using an IUD, don't assume the worse; many such pregnancies turn out perfectly fine. Instead, let your healthcare provider know the moment pregnancy occurs. If you decide to continue the pregnancy, keep your recommended perinatal appointments to monitor for any possible concerns. Frequently Asked Questions Can you get pregnant with an IUD? Yes, it is possible to become pregnant after having an IUD placed. Accidental pregnancies occur in the first year after IUD insertion in less than 1% of women. Hormonal IUDs have the lowest rates of unintended pregnancies at 0.2% of women. Non-hormonal IUDs have a failure rate of 0.8%, according to research. Can a pregnancy with an IUD survive? It is possible to have a healthy baby conceived with an IUD. However, there is an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy after IUD placement. An ectopic pregnancy is not viable and can be a medical emergency. If you get pregnant after having an IUD inserted, contact your obstetrician as soon as possible. How do you know if you are pregnant after having an IUD? A pregnancy test is the only way to know if you are pregnant. After getting an IUD, many women stop getting periods after a few months. Hormonal IUDs can also sometimes cause side effects that mimic pregnancy symptoms. What happens if you get pregnant with an IUD? If you get pregnant with an IUD, call your doctor right away. There is a risk of ectopic pregnancy with an IUD, which can become a medical emergency.If you get pregnant with an IUD and choose to carry the baby to term, your doctor will likely want to remove the IUD. You should never remove an IUD on your own. How to Talk to Your Healthcare Provider About Birth Control Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 4 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Sanders AP, Sander BH. Retained intrauterine devices in pregnancy. CMAJ. 2018 Apr 9;190(14):E440. doi:10.1503/cmaj.171059 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Long-acting reversible contraception: intrauterine device and implant. July 2011. Ozgu-Erdinc AS, Tasdemir UG, Uygur D, Aktulay A, Tasdemir N, Gulerman HC. Outcome of intrauterine pregnancies with intrauterine device in place and effects of device location on prognosis. Contraception. 2014 May;89(5):426-30. doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2014.01.002 Micks E, Raglan GB, Schulkin J. Bridging progestogens in pregnancy and pregnancy prevention. Endocr Connect. 2015 Dec 1;4(4):R81–92. doi:10.1530/EC-15-0093