No one will remove it!

Do NOT remove it yourself. I’ve had two removed and it is minor surgery to be frank. You need an incision with a scalpel, and for both of mine there was quite a bit of scar tissue so they really had to tug and wiggle it around for several minutes. Without anaesthesia and a professional who knows what they are doing I don’t think you’d be able to remove it and so then you would have harmed yourself for nothing. It’s not at all the same as a coil which is literally designed to be removed by pulling the strings...

Go private if you’re that desperate - take a day off work or just lie and call in sick. If you’re near London it shouldn’t be too hard to find a private clinic within an hour or so.

Why don’t you just book a day off as previously suggested?
It would be great if a GP or clinic could do it. I’m very keen to have mine removed and will be looking into private clinics myself.

In the nicest way possible. Having contraception removed will not be a priority as they most likely want to prevent future pregnancies putting more pressure on the NHS during current times. I understand its frustrating but there is a bigger picture here. If you got pregnant now, you add pressure to the NHS and that's the focus they will take. It would be irresponsible for a GP to remove contraception knowing it could put yourself and a baby at risk. Also knowing that your partner may not be able to be at any scans/appointments. I'm not saying people should try, but in the eyes of the health service, helping you get pregnant isnt something they will do. All fertility clinics have stopped.

I removed my own mirena coil out in Feb...couldn't deal with the side effects (had it since April last year) It popped out as easily and painlessly as a tampon.

I don't think I'd be nails enough to removed an implant, unless it was really close to the surface.

@vinotinto88 sadly my vet nurse friend is in the north

I really hope you get this sorted. I agree that it's about your body and choices. In the early emergency stages obviously everything stopped, but these things are important.

Do it yourself, with your partner, with everything ready to get in the car and drive to a&e if it's not going well.

They wouldn't even discuss it, just said no.

Please do not attempt to take this put yourself! I have had 3 implants and 2 of them took almost an hour to remove and caused massive bruising and needed stitches. They had somehow got a ligament or something tiny stuck around it so the doctor had to be really careful getting it out. Was numbed so felt fine but looked horrific afterwards! And although there was no pain I could feel the digging around in my arm. Very weird feeling. For what it's worth though, I would get another one if I was looking for a semi permanent contraceptive again.

In my experience, only certain doctors are trained to put these in and take them out. Could it be that these doctors have been redeployed? I'm not making excuses as this is awful that there has been no time line given for you to have it removed. It just seems odd that they haven't given you any future reassurances that this will happen.

Have you been through your GP? Sorry if you already have said that you have. I had a coil put in at a sexual health clinic and lost consciousness it was so painful, would never go back so have always been to GP for the implant. There's always a long waiting list as it seems there is only one or two women's health doctors there and demand is high. You would have thought right now that there would be many appointments free though.

I do find all of the posters saying that they were refused it being taken out, quite horrifying! I had my coil out no questions after a year because of awful side effects and the implant out early, again, no questions asked and no mention of expense. Maybe it depends on trust/borough/county? That really is awful though that some doctors seem to be manipulating a women's reproductivity and sexual/mental health for the sake of money. I feel lucky to live where I live (south London). Could you maybe try a different GP rather than different clinics? Then register there?

I do hope you get an answer soon. If not now then hopefully a date can be given to you so you can get on with your baby journey.

So was I. I'd read on here it could be difficult to get them to remove it, but I didn't really believe it until I tried myself.

So basic care should be ditched because of Corona?
I don't think so.
People are returning to work, places are re-opening.
Basic services (and contraception is basic) need to start up again.

Not sure if you’ve noticed yet but we’re in a middle of a pandemic?? people had their cancer treatments cancelled and you’re worried about TTC? what massive difference will it make if you start trying this month or next month?? if you’re that desperate take a day off work and go private , is not rocket science 🙄

I did try to remove it myself but couldn't reach

This was before lockdown, but no one would remove my mirena coil nearly 3years into having it and still bleeding continuously. I'd only had it to stop the constant bleeding, and was suffering bad side effects.

They (my gynae) point blank refused to take it out, telling me I needed to give it another year first, and then they'd consider other methods.

I finally managed to get it removed by lying to a locum GP about 5 months later but even he asked if my gynae knew my intention to remove it so I got it by saying my consultant knew I wanted it out, which was true, but implying they'd agreed to it.

I have a coil and think I'll want it out in the next three months, and have worried about this.

Obviously we're in an unprecedented situation but saying it'll be next year is totally unacceptable. Tbh feels like a feminist issue.

Anyway, a friend of mine cut hers out herself, no drama. She's a vet nurse though...

hamm87 She’s wanting to have her contraception removed not throw herself off the top of a car park, “red flag red flag”! I’d be pissed off too if they wouldn’t take it out and I wanted to try to conceive, in fact it’s one of the reasons I wouldn’t have any sort of semi-perm contraception, i know friends who have had issues and wanted them removing and have been told they have to “wait and see if it settles“, a year... with terrible migraines etc. Any other form of contraception you can just stop if you aren’t happy, I always preferred that control.

If I was you I’d just throw a bit of money at it and go private, I’m sure you can get it removed at a private clinic. I wouldn’t diy though.

Maybe dramatise it a bit? Sob down the phone to the receptionist about the pain, and tell them that your mental health is really suffering and you feel trapped by it.