IUD Question

[Aneroo, LPN]

Is it common practice to NOT check a urine hcg on a woman prior to IUD placement? I understand it's placed while a woman is having her menses- but just because you're bleeding doesn't mean it's menses, KWIM?

I know a girl online (a due date buddy on another forum) who had an IUD placed, then found out she was pregnant.

Had something similar tonight with a patient, but the pg was ectopic (wonder if it was due to the IUD?) This patient reported that no one ever checked her urine before putting in the IUD.

This just sounds so negligent. Anyone know how common this is?

[BabyRN2Be]

I had mine placed a few weeks before we got married last January. That was very DUMB on my part because I was still bleeding from it during our honeymoon! Now that I think about it, they didn't do a urine HcG on me either. They just asked if I could possibly be pregnant. The answer was no because we didn't sleep together until after we got married. However, what if a person had slept with someone else and could possibly be pregnant with another guy? (Yes, I know that happens). She could lie to the doctor if her SO was in the room.

Based on the amount of bleeding that I had after placement (I got very concerned about this), IF a pregnancy was ever there, it would have been long gone.

Aneroo, I believe that you are correct in that IUD's are associated with a greater possibility of an ectopic after placement. I always get concerned about that. Fortunately, we've been OK on this.

[DoulaKelly]

They didn't do an HCG on me either and I wasn't on my period in fact I was very close to ovulation (I chose that time because my cervix was open). My OB/GYN knows that I was charting and that there was virtually no chance that I was pg, but I do think that for most women an HCG should be done.