Coil / Intra Uterine Contraception appointment information

If you’ve recently made an appointment at one of our clinics for a coil / Intra Uterine Contraception (IUC) fitting or replacement please take some time to read the information.

This appointment Includes an assessment so that  we can make a decision as to whether a coil / IUC is appropriate and can be safely fitted. In nearly all cases and after a few questions we can fit the coil / IUC there and then, however on occasion we may make a clinical decision not to proceed.

There are a couple of things to remember when attending your coil/ IUC appointment:

  • Replacement– If you are attending to have your coil / IUC replaced, it’s really important that you don’t have sex for 7 days prior to your appointment. If through the assessment process we identify that you’ve had any unprotected sex or pregnancy we might not be able to replace your coil / IUC and you will need to to rebook your appointment.
  • Insertion/fitting- if you're attending to have a new coil fitted it's important that there is no risk of a pregnancy. You should avoid sex or make sure you use a reliable contraception between your last period and your appointment date.
  • Emergency contraceptive purposes- if you've been advised to have a coil for emergency contraption the clinician will assess you at your appointment to check it's still safe to go ahead.
  • Arrival- always arrive 10 minutes before your appointment slot. Coil / IUC appointments are very popular and our clinics are always at full capacity. If you're more than 10 minutes late we may not have time to see you for your appointment and we’ll have to arrange a further appointment on a different day.
  • Childcare- we recommend where possible you arrange childcare when attending for your coil / IUC appointment.  Alternatively bring a responsible adult with you who can watch your child / children while you are being seen. 
  • Pain relief- the pain experienced during an IUC fitting varies with some women experiencing only a mild discomfort and other women have more intense Cramp-type pain.  We recommend that you take some ibuprofen, and/or paracetamol about an hour before your appointment if you are able to.  The nurse or doctor seeing you in clinic will be happy to discuss pain relief with you in more detail.  It's always sensible to have eaten something prior to your appointment, as this will reduce you feeling faint or lightheaded.

Your coil / IUC will be fitted by a trained and experienced doctor or nurse. If for any reason you can’t make your appointment, please cancel by calling 0300 123 5474 or visiting our online booking page. Cancelling your appointment means we can free up your slot for someone else.


We look forward to seeing you at your appointment.


Thank you