Hormonal IUDs are inserted into your uterus where they release a small amount of progestin (a synthetic version of a naturally-occurring hormone progesterone) which thickens the cervical mucus, making it a hostile environment for sperm, so they can't get up there to reach the egg.



First up, here are some things you should know before getting an IUD.



People are often confused ("Is that the female condom thing?"); surprised ("I thought only mothers could get one?"); and desperate to know more about the actual insertion process ("ON A SCALE OF ONE TO A LOT, HOW MUCH DID IT HURT?").

This isn't so surprising, because Australia is seriously lagging behind the rest of the developed world when it comes to long acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs).

In fact, hormonal IUDs make up just 1.9% of the contraceptives prescribed by GPs in Australia, while oral contraceptives account for 68%.

In Australia, to "have a lark" is to muck around or get up to a bit of cheeky mischief.