Can an IUD cause infertility?

Written by Shen Li Wen
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Updated on June 21, 2025
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Wearing a contraceptive ring does not lead to infertility in women. Generally, after the ring is inserted, it can compress the endometrium, leading to aseptic inflammation of the endometrium. It can also cause small ulcers, affect the coagulation function of the uterine cavity, and the environment within the uterine cavity, making it difficult for the fertilized egg to implant, thus serving its contraceptive purpose. However, typically, if there is a desire for childbirth, removing the ring within three to seven days after the end of menstruation can restore normal reproductive functions. In very rare cases, after the removal of the ring, adhesions in the uterine cavity and damage to the basal layer of the endometrium can occur. This can indeed affect a woman's normal ability to conceive. In some cases, even if conception occurs, there might be complications such as missed miscarriage or threatened abortion.

Other Voices

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Written by Qiu Xin Hui
Traditional Chinese Medicine
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What to eat to regulate the body for cold-induced infertility?

Cold body infertility, in traditional Chinese medicine, is mainly caused by the deficiency of spleen and kidney yang. Clinically, this will manifest as a pattern of deficiency and coldness. At this time, one should first make adjustments through diet. The diet should include more warm foods and less raw, cold, especially frozen foods, and more animal-based foods, which are beneficial for the body, such as beef, lamb, dog meat, fish, shrimp, leeks, pepper, and Sichuan pepper, etc. At the same time, one should also engage in more physical exercise to get the body moving and slightly sweating, which can improve the cold constitution and increase the chance of conception.

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Written by Zhao Min Ying
Reproductive Medicine
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What tests are done for infertility?

Couples who have lived together for more than a year and have regular sexual intercourse without using any contraception and still have not conceived are diagnosed with infertility. For men, it is referred to as sterility. Infertility requires couples to visit the reproductive medicine department for relevant infertility tests. The tests for men are simpler, primarily requiring abstinence from sexual activity for two to seven days before undergoing a semen analysis. For women, the tests vary depending on the condition but generally include the following aspects: First, blood tests related to endocrinology are conducted 2 to 4 days into menstruation. Second, from 3 to 7 days after menstruation ends, during which sexual intercourse should be avoided, tests can be conducted to check the patency of the fallopian tubes. Third, ovulation can be monitored by ultrasound from days 9 to 11 of the menstrual cycle until ovulation is confirmed. Additionally, routine gynecological examinations, including checks of the cervix and ultrasound examinations, are also conducted.

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Written by Kang Jian Hua
Reproductive Center
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How to treat infertility?

The treatment methods for infertility primarily include medication, surgical treatment, and assisted reproductive technologies. For couples with infertility, it is essential to adopt appropriate treatment methods based on different causes and conditions. Medication is a commonly used method, mainly targeting conditions such as oligospermia, asthenozoospermia, and reproductive tract infections in men, as well as menstrual disorders and reproductive tract infections in women. Surgical treatment mainly targets conditions such as varicocele and vas deferens obstruction in men, and uterine fibroids and polycystic ovary syndrome in women. Assisted reproductive technologies are mainly used for some patients who do not respond well to medication or surgery, such as men with idiopathic oligospermia and women with blocked fallopian tubes, requiring these technologies for treatment.

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Written by Shen Li Wen
Obstetrics and Gynecology
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Do Nabothian cysts of the cervix cause infertility?

Women with cervical Nabothian cysts will not become infertile because of them. Cervical Nabothian cysts are actually cysts of the cervical glands. Abnormal substances, such as squamous epithelium during the healing process, have entered the gland ducts, blocking them and preventing the contents of the cysts from escaping. They merely indicate the squamo-columnar junction of the cervix and do not affect the cervical canal or cause it to narrow, nor do they affect vaginal secretions or female infertility. However, if a woman has a particularly large single cervical cyst or multiple cervical gland cysts, they may cause cervical hypertrophy. When the cervix is enlarged, there might be hyperplasia in the interstitial part and possible formation of fibrous tissue. This could potentially affect the dilation of the cervix during childbirth.

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Written by Xu Xiao Ming
Obstetrics and Gynecology
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Causes of infertility

Infertility may be due to factors involving either the male or the female. The main causes of female infertility include ovulatory disorders and fallopian tube factors. Ovulatory disorders may result from dysfunction in ovulation, such as changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, as well as ovarian diseases, with polycystic ovary syndrome being the most common condition that could lead to ovulatory issues. Fallopian tube factors include blockages or inefficiencies, which can also cause infertility in women. Uterine factors can also lead to infertility, including abnormalities of the uterus, inflammation of the endometrium, polyps in the endometrium, and intrauterine adhesions, all of which can affect the implantation of the fertilized egg and cause infertility. Abnormal cervical mucus secretion, cervical inflammation, and an unusual immune environment in cervical mucus that affects sperm passage can also lead to infertility. Male infertility factors primarily include disorders of sperm production and sperm delivery, which may manifest as abnormalities in semen, shown by the absence of sperm, weak sperm, or low sperm count, all contributing to infertility. Additionally, sexual dysfunctions such as premature ejaculation, anejaculation, and erectile dysfunction can also result in male infertility.