Women should ‘always’ be offered pain relief when having contraceptive coil fitted, say experts

The news follows Naga Munchetty’s revelation that her experience of having a coil fitted left her in ‘excruciating pain’

An IUD birth control copper coil device (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Women should always be offered pain relief when having the contraceptive coil fitted, medics have said.

The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) announced on Tuesday that patients should “always” be offered “appropriate analgesia” when they have a coil, or intrauterine device (IUD) fitting.

The news comes after hundreds of women shared their traumatic stories of having the coil fitted on social media, including BBC broadcaster Naga Munchetty who said she screamed so loudly during her coil fitting, that her husband tried to find out which room she was in to make the procedure stop after suffering “excruciating” pain.

In a statement, the FSRH said that the pain associated with an IUD fitting is similar to period cramps for many women, but that others find it painful and anxiety-provoking.

Dr Janet Barter, vice president of the FSRH, said that the admissions of women about their coil fittings had been “concerning”, but that it had “sparked an important discussion amongst healthcare professionals and IUD users”.

She added that while FSRH training in coil fittings included teaching on analgesics (pain relief), they now recommend that healthcare professionals create “a supportive environment and offer appropriate analgesia”.

She said: “In my experience many women decline the offer, but the option should be there. Not all clinics or GP practices are able to offer local anaesthesia, and where this is the case, referral to another service should be in place.”

Dr Barter added that patients should be aware that “they can request that the procedure stops at any time” in the event the pain is too much.

Munchetty, who called her procedure “one of the most traumatic physical experiences I have had”, discussed the news with Dr Barter and Lucy Cohen, a woman who started an online petition after experiencing pain during a coil fitting, on BBC 5 Live on Tuesday morning.

Ms Cohen said: “I’m so pleased that our voices have been heard and that we can see some tangible improvements to women’s health – I think this is fantastic.”

Despite the difficulties some patients encounter during a coil fitting, IUDs and IUSs have the highest overall satisfaction rating, according to The Lowdown, the world’s first review platform for contraception.

“We are very cautious of putting women off having the coil,” the company told The Independent in June.

“Our data shows that once it’s fitted, 54-61 per cent of women report having either a ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’ experience, which is over double the proportion that state for the combined or mini pill.”