Common Questions: IUDs
What is a copper IUD?
Do you need a doctor to insert an IUD?
How is an IUD removed?
Does an IUD interfere with sex?
Can you get pregnant with an IUD?
Common Questions: Colon and Rectal (Colorectal) Cancer
What are the early warning signs of colorectal cancer?
How long does it take for colorectal cancer to develop?
Can you die from colorectal cancer?
Where is the first place colorectal cancer spreads?
Is prostate cancer curable?
Next Question
There are two types of IUDs: with hormones and without. A nonhormone IUD uses a thin layer of copper wrapped around a plastic device to prevent pregnancy. The copper keeps sperm from reaching the egg and fertilizing it, and may also prevent implantation.
Blood in the stool, a change in bowel habits marked by constipation or diarrhea, fatigue, weakness, abdominal pain, bloating, and weight loss are among the early signs of colon cancer.
Common Questions: Apple Cider Vinegar
Any trained healthcare professional can insert an IUD. Typically, this nonsurgical procedure is done during a medical office visit and takes only a few minutes. A flexible tube containing the IUD is inserted through the vagina into the uterus. When the tubing is removed, the IUD remains in place.
Most cases of colorectal cancer begin as a polyp, and it may take as long as 10 to 15 years to become cancerous. For this reason, regular screening to identify and remove polyps is the best way to prevent colon cancer.
An IUD has tiny threads attached to it. Unlike tampon strings, these do not protrude outside the body. When you want your IUD removed or if it has reached the end of its useful life, your healthcare provider uses an instrument to grasp the threads and pull the device down and out.
Colon cancer begins in the colon and rectal cancer begins in the rectum, but both areas are part of the digestive system. Because of this, cancers that occur in either area are sometimes referred to as colorectal cancer.
Are colon cancer, rectal cancer, and colorectal cancer all the same?
No. Your sex life should not change with an IUD — except that you can relax more about not having an unwanted pregnancy. Some women worry that their partner will feel the threads, but this shouldn’t happen. If for some reason your partner does feel them, talk to your healthcare provider about trimming them further.
Yes. The odds of survival are highest for colorectal cancers caught at an early stage. For example, localized colorectal cancer that has not spread outside the colon or rectum has a 90 percent five-year survival rate, while those cancers that have spread to nearby or distant organs have 75 percent and 14 percent five-year survival rates, respectively.
All Questions
An IUD is one of the most effective birth control devices you can use. It is more than 99 percent effective, meaning there is less than a 1 in 100 chance you will conceive. If you do happen to get pregnant though, see your doctor right away; pregnancy with an IUD is a serious risk to your health and future fertility.
Colon cancer typically spreads to the liver first, though it can spread to other areas of the body, including the lungs and brain.
