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Gynaecology · UK

Paragard - the copper coil, fitted without the wait.

Paragard is simply the American brand name for the copper IUD - the same hormone-free coil UK clinics fit every day. Over 99% effective for up to ten years, reversible in minutes, and nothing hormonal in your system.

See indicative pricing
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Indicative pricing

What a private copper coil costs in the UK.

Indicative ranges across our partner gynaecology clinics, device included.

In short

£250–£450 all-in, done in one visit.

Service Indicative range
Contraception consultation only £100–£200
Copper IUD fitting, device included £250–£450
Emergency copper IUD (within 5 days) £300–£500
Local anaesthetic block for fitting £50–£100
IUD removal £100–£200
Removal and replacement in one visit £300–£500
Ultrasound check of device position £150–£300

Prices vary with the device chosen (UK copper IUDs include 5- and 10-year models), whether local anaesthetic is used, and whether an ultrasound check is needed for a difficult fitting or lost threads. The NHS fits copper coils free of charge - the private route buys speed, choice of fitter and guaranteed pain-relief options, not a different device.

The problem

The right device, real pain relief, and no three-month wait.

Coil care lets women down in predictable ways - long NHS waits, fittings without anaesthetic, and nobody asking whether copper is even the right coil for your periods. We fix all three.

  • Copper or hormonal - asked properly

    Heavy periods point one way, hormone sensitivity the other. Five minutes of honest questioning prevents a year of the wrong coil.

  • Anaesthetic as standard

    Gel or a cervical block should be an offer, not a fight.

  • This week, not next quarter

    NHS coil waits stretch to months in many areas - useless for emergency contraception and miserable for everyone else.

When it helps

When the copper coil is the right choice.

The situations where copper wins, plus the one red flag after fitting that needs urgent review rather than reassurance.

  • You want nothing hormonal

    The copper IUD is the only long-acting method with no hormones at all - no mood, weight, libido or bleeding-pattern effects from progestogen.

  • Hormonal methods disagreed with you

    Mood change, headaches or breast symptoms on the pill or hormonal coil are among the commonest reasons women switch to copper.

  • Emergency contraception

    Fitted within five days of unprotected sex, the copper IUD is the most effective emergency contraception available - over 99%, better than any pill.

  • Migraine with aura or clot risk

    When oestrogen is off the table - aura, previous VTE, some thrombophilias - copper carries none of those contraindications.

  • Set-and-forget for a decade

    The 10-year devices outlast every other reversible method. Nothing to remember, nothing to collect from a pharmacy.

  • Breastfeeding or postpartum

    Copper is safe from four weeks after birth and has no effect on milk supply.

  • Bridging to menopause

    A copper coil fitted at 40 or over can stay until contraception is no longer needed - one device, no further decisions.

  • Red flag: severe pain or fever after fitting

    Worsening pelvic pain, fever or unusual discharge in the weeks after fitting can mean infection or perforation - same-day review, not watchful waiting.

Device options

Copper, hormonal, or neither - the honest comparison.

Paragard is one brand in a family of devices. What matters is matching the device - copper or hormonal, larger or smaller - to your uterus and your priorities.

  • Paragard - the US brand

    A copper-only T-shaped device licensed for 10 years in the United States. Not marketed under that name in the UK - but its UK equivalents are the same technology.

  • UK 10-year copper IUDs

    T-shaped devices with 380mm² of copper (banded arms) - the UK workhorses, licensed for 10 years and the direct equivalent of Paragard.

  • Shorter and smaller copper devices

    Five-year and reduced-frame copper coils suit a smaller uterus or a difficult previous fitting - slightly less copper, slightly shorter licence.

  • How copper works

    Copper ions are toxic to sperm and prevent fertilisation; the effect is local, immediate on insertion, and fully reversible on removal.

  • Hormonal IUS - the alternative coil

    Levonorgestrel devices make periods much lighter - the opposite of copper, which tends to make them heavier. The right choice often hinges on your periods today.

  • Emergency use

    Only the copper IUD works as emergency contraception - fitted up to five days after unprotected sex, then staying on as ongoing cover.

  • Fitting with ultrasound

  • Removal and switching

    Removal takes minutes; fertility returns immediately. Switching copper-to-hormonal (or back) can be done in a single appointment.

Safety and recovery

What to expect afterwards - honestly.

The copper IUD is one of the safest, most effective contraceptives in existence. The honest caveats are about periods, the fitting itself, and a handful of rare events worth knowing by name.

  • Heavier periods are the main trade-off

    Copper typically makes periods heavier, longer or more crampy, especially in the first 3–6 months. If your periods are already heavy, a hormonal coil may serve you better - we will say so.

  • The fitting, honestly

    Most fittings cause brief, intense cramps; a minority are genuinely painful. Local anaesthetic, an experienced fitter and an unhurried appointment change that experience completely.

  • Expulsion

    Around 1 in 20 devices is pushed out, most often in the first three months and sometimes unnoticed - which is what the monthly thread-check is for.

  • Perforation is rare

    The device passes through the uterine wall in roughly 1–2 per 1,000 fittings, more often when breastfeeding. Ultrasound finds it; keyhole retrieval fixes it.

  • Infection risk is front-loaded

    A small rise in pelvic infection risk exists in the first three weeks after fitting only - this is why we screen for STIs when risk factors are present.

  • If pregnancy happens anyway

    Failures are rare, but a pregnancy with a coil in place has a higher chance of being ectopic - any positive test with an IUD needs prompt scanning.

  • No cancer or fertility effects

    Copper IUDs do not affect long-term fertility, and are associated with a reduced risk of endometrial cancer. Fertility returns the day the device comes out.

  • Who should not have copper

    Current pelvic infection, unexplained bleeding, significant cavity distortion from fibroids, copper allergy and Wilson’s disease are the main exclusions.

  • Red flags after fitting

    Severe worsening pain, fever, heavy bleeding, or a positive pregnancy test need same-day review. Absent threads alone just need a scan - do not panic.

Reading your fitting notes

Your fitting record in four parts. Read the last one first.

A UK gynaecologist completing a patient’s coil fitting record

A quiet reminder

Device names and licence dates matter years later - we keep them straight for you.

If you would like us to talk you through your fitting record - or work out when a coil fitted years ago is due for change - just ask.

  1. 01 Header

    Device, batch and licence length

    Exactly which copper IUD was fitted, its batch number, and the year it is licensed until - the detail everyone wishes they had a decade later.

  2. 02 Technique

    How the fitting went

    Uterine length, anaesthetic used, any difficulty with the cervix - invaluable information for whoever removes or replaces the device.

  3. 03 Findings

    Position and threads

    Confirmation of fundal placement, thread length at the cervix, and the ultrasound report if guidance was used.

  4. 04 Impression

    Follow-up and what to watch for

    Read this first: when the thread check is due, how to self-check monthly, the removal date, and the symptoms that warrant a call.

Recognised by major UK insurers

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

Contraception is generally excluded from UK private medical insurance, so copper IUD fittings are usually self-pay - which is why we keep the all-in price transparent.

Frequently asked

Everything we get asked about the copper coil.

Quick answers on Paragard vs UK devices, pain, periods, emergency use, cost and removal.

  • Is Paragard available in the UK?

    Not under that name - Paragard is the US brand of copper IUD. The UK uses equivalent copper devices, including 10-year models with the same 380mm² banded-copper design. If you have researched Paragard, any of our fitters can offer you its direct UK equivalent.

  • How effective is the copper IUD?

    Over 99% - fewer than 1 pregnancy per 100 women per year, with 10-year devices maintaining that protection for their full licence. As emergency contraception fitted within five days of unprotected sex it prevents over 99% of expected pregnancies, outperforming every emergency pill.

  • Does the fitting hurt?

    Honestly: most women feel strong period-like cramps for under a minute, and a minority find it genuinely painful - the experience varies with anatomy, previous births and the fitter’s skill. We stack the deck: experienced fitters only, simple analgesia beforehand, and local anaesthetic gel or a cervical block offered as standard rather than on request.

  • Will it change my periods?

    Copper tends to make periods somewhat heavier, longer or more crampy, most noticeably in the first three to six months, after which many women find they settle. There are no hormonal effects - no impact on mood, weight or libido. If your periods are already heavy, we will usually suggest considering the hormonal coil instead.

  • How much does a private fitting cost?

    An emergency fitting is £300–£500. The NHS fits copper coils free - the private route buys a same-week appointment, your choice of an experienced fitter, and guaranteed pain-relief options.

  • How quickly does fertility return after removal?

    Immediately. Copper works locally and is fully reversible - there is no hormonal washout period, and conception is possible in the first cycle after removal. Removal itself takes a few minutes and is far quicker and more comfortable than fitting.

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