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 read the information below.

This 30 minute appointment is a consultation so we can assess whether a coil / IUC is appropriate. 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.

A couple of things to remember when attending your coil/ IUC appointment:

• Replacement - if you aren’t using contraception or 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 on discussion we identify that you’ve had sex we mightn’t be able to fit/replace your coil / IUC and you’ll have 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 pregnancy. You should avoid sex or make sure you use condoms 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 won’t have time to see you for your appointment and we’ll have to arrange a further appointment on a different day.
• Childcare - we always recommend where possible you arrange childcare when attending for your coil / IUC fitting or replacement, or bring a responsible adult with you who can watch your child / children. If a daytime appointment is difficult please contact us so we can look at alternative options at some of our limited evening clinics.
• Pain relief - the pain experienced during an IUC fitting varies from woman to woman with some women experiencing mild discomfort only and other women have more intense crampy pain.  We would recommend you take some ibuprofen prior to your appointment if you are able to, or alternatively some paracetamol.  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