IUDs and Weight Gain

IUDs are T-shaped devices that a doctor inserts into your uterus to prevent pregnancy. They work very well: Fewer than 1 in 100 users will get pregnant in the first year. Besides preventing pregnancy, IUDs also can treat heavy periods. 

It's common to wonder if IUDs can make you gain weight. But there's no evidence that they can. That's true even for hormonal IUDs, which release low levels of progestin. The hormone levels aren't enough to cause noticeable weight changes.

Although IUDs don't make you gain weight, they can cause minor side effects for some people, like headaches and changes to your skin, hair, or mood. You might have heavier periods with a copper IUD.

Even when people report weight gain, other factors may be at play. Sometimes it's merely your stage of life. For example, if you start using an IUD before your body fully matures, you might think those normal body changes result from the IUD.

If you decide you want to get pregnant or just don't want to use the method anymore, your health care provider can remove it quickly and safely.