Birth control is an incredibly personal choice and for many women an everyday chore. According to the CDC, 65% of women in their childbearing years use some form of birth control. In The US the majority of women use prophylactics, 14% opt for the pill only about 10% choose an IUD. Much of that is fear-based. It requires minor surgery and that is a turn-off for many.
But in China, it’s a completely different story. The NIH reports 41% of contraceptives used in China are IUDs. Siyu He, a working mother of 2.5-year-old twin boys went to see her doctor about having an IUD procedure.
Siyu is not alone in this choice. IUDs have a lot to recommend them. Rather than a pill every day it is a one-time procedure that is 99% effective for as many as 5 years. The pill is 91% effective when used correctly and consistently but human error sees that number drop considerably. Let’s be honest in the middle of work, packing lunches, cleaning the house, getting to the gym, and making time for your significant other it’s pretty easy to forget to take your vitamins so the set it and forget it model of an IUD is appealing. The one downside is the cost.
The IUD alone is between RMB 1,00 and 1,300 plus the cost of the surgery. But as Siyu points out it’s less than the cost of a pregnancy and child care. “Having two children is already out of my plan because I knew what pressure I would face. The cost of raising two kids is super high in Beijing.” She opted for the procedure at Chaoyang Hospital. “For me, it was just like taking a 20-minutes’ sleep and everything was done when I woke up. It was not painful at all after the surgery, I only felt a little bit uncomfortable, the feeling was just like those days during the regular period time.”
Aside from some light bleeding Siyu experienced no serious side effects and says as a bonus her periods are a little lighter now. When asked if she would recommend the procedure to a friend she said “Yes, why not? If my friend is like me who doesn’t want to be pregnant anymore, the IUD is a perfect choice. It’s very friendly for people like me who have a bad memory to take the pill every day, plus, it is easy to put in and take out.”
If you are interested in more information about whether or not an IUD is right for you consult your OBGYN. To locate a hospital near you and find out how to make an appointment go to http://english.beijing.gov.cn/livinginbeijing/medicalservice/202005/t20200513_1895969.html
You can also make appointments thru most hospitals’ official WeChat accounts or by calling 411.
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