The giant inflatable IUD made its first appearance in Washington DC ahead of the Senate's vote against a contraceptive rights bill, and will be touring the country in the upcoming election season to educate people about birth control.
The American Birth Control Association inserted the IUD, a type of birth control, last week “to educate, inform and empower the American public about what's at stake,” association spokesman Chris Fleming told USA Today.
The 20-foot-tall inflatable first appeared in front of Union Station in Washington, D.C., and garnered a lot of attention online when people began posting photos and jokes about it on social media.
Explained: What is the “Birth Control Rights Act”? How it failed and what it would have done
“I wish I'd taken some ibuprofen before Union Station installed that giant IUD,” posted one user on the account formerly known as X on Twitter.
“What would happen if you kissed underneath a giant inflatable IUD?” one user wrote.
Why IUDs?
“It was a way to get people's attention and it worked,” Fleming said, adding that the response had been overwhelmingly positive.
AFC had the IUD inserted on Wednesday, the same day the birth control bill of rights was introduced in the Senate.
“These billboards will be showing up in key areas and states across the country for legislative elections,” Fleming said, “and in places people might not expect them, like the South.”
Jenny Marten, health training manager at Planned Parenthood Federation of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, said she has seen IUDs.
“I think this is a great opportunity to bring attention to an issue that's very important to us,” Marten told USA Today.
Fleming did not say where the IUDs will appear, but said they will continue to move around throughout an election year.
What is an IUD?
An IUD, or intrauterine device, is a type of reversible birth control. It's a T-shaped plastic device about the size of a quarter that a doctor inserts into your uterus to temporarily prevent future pregnancies, Marten says.
“This is one of the most effective forms of contraception currently available,” Marten said.
It is also becoming more popular.
Between 2006 and 2010, only 8% of women relied on IUDs for birth control, but between 2015 and 2019, that number jumped to 20%, Marten said.
Although it is an effective method of birth control, people with IUDs can remove them at any time, and if they decide to have a baby, they can remove the IUD and start trying to conceive right away.
“Every patient is different, but usually, once the IUD is removed, they are able to get pregnant,” Marten says.
Different Types of IUDs
According to Planned Parenthood's website, there are five brands of IUDs.
Paragard – made of copper, effective for up to 12 years Mirena – made of hormones, effective for up to 8 years Liletta – made of hormones, effective for up to 8 years Kyleena – made of hormones, effective for up to 5 years Skyla – made of hormones, effective for up to 3 years
Some IUDs are made entirely of plastic and deliver a hormone called progestin to prevent pregnancy. Others, like Paragard, don't contain hormones and are encased in copper. Both work by changing the way sperm cells move through the uterus, preventing them from reaching the egg.
Emergency contraception
IUDs can also be used as emergency contraception.
Marten said that like Plan B, it can be used to prevent pregnancy for up to five days after unprotected sex.
However, despite common misconception, IUDs do not induce abortions.
“Studies have shown that IUDs are very effective and safe,” she said, “and studies have also shown that IUDs do not induce abortions.”
Birth Control Rights Act
The Right to Contraception Act was enacted to protect an individual’s right to access contraception and a health care provider’s right to prescribe it.
But Senate Republicans blocked the bill.
Sen. Marco Rubio and other Republican senators who voted against the bill signed a letter explaining their reasons for opposing the bill.
“Access to contraception cannot be threatened,” the letter said. It also said the bill would violate parental rights.
The senators who signed the letter called it “stunt legislation.”
“Why do we need a law to address a problem that doesn't exist?” Rubio asked during a press conference published on X.
But Democrats are opposed: President Joe Biden said Republicans in Congress have already attacked access to birth control by proposing to defund the Title X family planning program, the only program that focuses solely on family planning.
“Dangerous and extreme abortion bans put women's health and lives at risk and deny them access to vital health care services, including birth control, forcing health care providers to close in states across the country,” Biden said. “Attacks on birth control are an affront to women's dignity and their ability to make their own decisions about their lives.”
The bill failed, but Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) voted against it, meaning the bill could be introduced again in the future.
Contributor: Rachel Barber, USA TODAY
