To think this might be why we have unwanted pregnancies???

[boschy]

I need a mirena coil removed (TMI?). The only place I can go (according to local gp surgery) is our local FPC, which is about 5 miles away. Luckily for me, I can drive there.

The ONLY time you can call for an appointment is after 5.30pm on a Monday night. I have tried approx 40 times in the last 70 minutes and it is permanently engaged.

It's a good thing I'm not a hormone driven teenager isnt it?!! Dear god, this is bloody ridiculous.

Know what you mean. When I wanted to get the Implanon thingy years ago the wait was about a month. Oh and a couple of years ago a friend caught chlamydia (ok it was me) and had to drive 24 miles to get the bloody anti biotics - WHY???

YANBU. Access to appointments is a huge problem. GP surgeries should have specialist nurses trained to deal with contraception issues.

oh and their phone doesnt accept ring-back.... which is helpful.

I asked my GP to remove my coil as I was having awful side effects, was told to make an appointment with the nurse and had to wait 3 weeks! I removed it myself and my side effects dissapeard with just a few days.

condoms? no sex? ... there are always options...

Goingtoofast- you removed it yourself?

I've never had one so not that familiar, but HOW?

and OP YANBU at all.

jesus, you removed it yourself???? omigod, my eyes are watering...
squeaky, not sex-related for me, just been advised to have it taken out as it's been too long and I am peri-menopausal (old bat) anyway and DH has had the snip...

70mins? What an odd number.

Ugh! How do you remove a coil by yourself?

70 mins = 1 hour and 10, still trying, still engaged... am out next Monday night so wont be able to call then.

i want mirena coil but am struggling to coordinate ringing, making an appointment, chaildcare and my period with the clinic times. I first planned this about 6 months ago

I found the threads and gently tugged - then began to think was probably a bad idea, by then it was out. It wasn't painful and my cervix was probably low and open so came out easily.

70mins? What an odd number.

have you googled the FPC to see if there are other ways of contacting them or any other one you can attend. There is a selection of FPC I can go to and they are all linked up by computer e.g. I had a consultation in one clinic, insertion at another one and my 6 week check at a third one.

Goodness, my GP fitted my copper coil 6 weeks after dd was born. A nurse at the same practive tried and failed to remove it so o got an appointment to see a GP 3 days later who did it at her first attempt. I had 15 years worth of pill prescriptions with no bother as well.

Your GP can remove your coil. If he/she can do smears, they can remove a coil.

Well, started calling at 5.30, and it is now 2 mins past 7 and lo and behold I got through and have an appointment - not for 3 weeks though, which is the first time they can fit me in!!! Lovely lady on the phone, etc etc - but it's not great really is it, in terms of access to family planning...

Our FMC has a drop in clinic every week for teens, otherwise I think the rate of teenage pregnancies would be double for our area. You can only get birth control from the fpc for some reason, not your GP. And unsurprisingly you could be waiting months for an appointment. You're just advised to use condoms in the meantime.

My DH is a GP and he had to do an additional course to qualify him to fit coils etc. Think it's a DFSRH (Diploma in Family Planning, Sexual and Reproductive Health). He did quite a bit of his training at the local FPC whilst he was a GP registrar. It's not compulsory for GPs to do it. So I think that's why some GPs can and some can't. That said, I'm pretty sure the qualification doesn't allow DH to do implants, although he can do coils and caps!

There's only one GP in our practice who can fit coils, took me 2 cycles to co-ordinate an appointment (TMI, sorry). The well woman clinic in our city used to be excellent but funding has been cut, same old story....

My GP took one out for me but wasn't qualified to put one in. Very simple to take out IMO, none of the measuring, opening of cervix etc. they have to do when inserting.

wanderingwhistle I think lack of access to FPC might have quite a lot to do with unwanted pregnancies???

The amount of times you read people saying "oh he doesnt like condoms", or "I cant get on with the pill" etc etc.

Like I said, it's not an issue for me, but I was pretty determined to get through. My GP surgery will not remove a coil; I have been advised to get it removed for medical reasons; therefore I was pretty determined to get it sorted by the people I was told to go to. If I was less determined - like many a teenage girl maybe - I wouldn't have got it sorted. And if you can only ring after 5.30 on a Monday night, perhaps your Dad or big brother might be home and you might have difficulty explaining why you needed an FPC appointment, or not want to make the call while you could be overheard. (Generic you, obv)

Why has a coil needed to be fitted during a period, as I 3 fitted and never been during my period