IUD (Intrauterine Device): Costs, How To Use
Costs
The Right Time health centers offer free or low-cost IUDs to those who need them. If you have insurance, chances are good that you'll be able to get this method with no out-of-pocket expense.
Prices for Mirena or Kyleena
- This method may be free or low-cost for you at The Right Time health centers.
- With Medicaid: Free
- With insurance: Free under most plans
The full price of Mirena can range from $500 - $858. To see how this translates over a year, here’s what it would cost to pay for Mirena or Kyleena month-to-month at full price.
- Cost per month over one year: $41 - $72
- Cost per month over five years: $8 - $14
Prices for Paragard
- This method may be free or low-cost for you at The Right Time health centers.
- With Medicaid: Free
- With insurance: Free under most plans
The full price of Paragard can range from $500 - $739. To see how this translates over a year, here’s what it would cost to pay for Paragard month-to-month at full price.
- Cost per month over one year: $41 - $62
- Cost per month over five years: $8 - $12
Cost per month over 10 years: $4 - $6
Prices for Skyla
- This method may be free or low-cost for you at The Right Time health centers.
- With Medicaid: Free
- With insurance: Free under most plans
The full price of Skyla can range from $650 - $714. To see how this translates over a year, here’s what it would cost to pay for Skyla month-to-month at full price.
- Cost per month over one year: $54 - $60
- Cost per month over three years: $18 - $20
Prices for LILETTA
- This method may be free or low-cost for you at The Right Time health centers.
- With Medicaid: Free
- With insurance: Free under most plans. If your plan has a high copay, you may qualify for co-pay assistance that reduces the cost of the device to $75.
The full price of LILETTA can range from $50-$684. There is also an out-of-pocket maximum of $75 with certain insurance plans. To see how this translates over a year, here’s what it would cost to pay for LILETTA month-to-month at full price.
- Cost per month over one year: $4 - $57
- Cost per month over three years: $1 - $19
How To Use
If you want to get an IUD, the first thing you’ll need to do is talk with your health care provider at a The Right Time health center. She or he will ask you a bunch of questions about your medical history and your lifestyle, then give you an exam to make sure the IUD is right for you.
You can get the IUD inserted any time of the month. Some providers like to insert it during your period, but any time is fine as long as you can be sure you’re not pregnant. It may be the most comfortable to get it done during the middle of your period if you can believe that. (That’s when your cervix—the opening to your uterus—is open the most.)
It’s pretty common to feel some cramps when you get an IUD inserted, but they’ll go away with rest or pain medication. Some women might feel dizzy, too. Once the IUD is in, you’ll notice a little string that hangs down into your vagina. That’s there so that the IUD can be removed later. (The strings don’t hang out of the vagina like a tampon, though.)
After it’s in, there’s really not much you have to do other than check the string ends from time to time to make sure it’s in place. Here’s how:
- Wash your hands, then sit or squat down.
- Put your finger in your vagina until you touch your cervix, which will feel firm and rubbery like the tip of your nose.
- Feel for the strings. If you find them, congrats! Your IUD is good to go. But if you feel the hard part of the IUD against your cervix, you may need to have it adjusted or replaced by your provider.
p.s. Don’t tug on the strings! If you do, the IUD could move out of place.
p.p.s. If you don’t feel comfortable checking for the strings, you can let your provider do that the month after insertion, and then yearly after that.
