Mirena coil replacement during Covid

[EmmaStone]

Hi there, wondered if anyone had had this kind of experience. My Mirena will have been in for 5 years by the beginning of September. I phoned my GP today to request an appointment for replacement, and was told they're still not able to do those kinds of appointments. The receptionist was really helpful and will get back to me if there is a clinic in a nearby city that I could access (live v rurally, so this is a bit of a PITA, but would rather that than no contraception!), but I was a bit nonplussed. That's at least 6 months of no coil insertions, and presumably with medics anticipating an increase in activity come autumn/winter, are we saying women are unable to access this highly successful form of contraception indefinitely? Wowsers.

I would call your local GUM/sexual health clinic. Certainly around here the GPs don't like to do them (also live rurally), but I work in sexual health and as far as I know our clinic is doing contraception appts. The urgent ones probably get priority, and it's hard to know what sort of backlog there might be, but we are certainly seeing people face-to-face as needed. It's definitely worth the drive to just get it sorted.

I think other countries say the mirena is successful for up to 7 years and even longer (but longer not clinically proven) so you do have a bit longer before it becomes an issue. I’ve had mine in nearly 8 years and still not had any sign of periods restarting. I’m waiting for a scan as they couldn’t find the strings but due to Covid all appts have been put on hold so I’ve been waiting 7 months for a scan and god knows how much longer.

I also live rurally and rang my GP surgery to ask about Mirena removal (have had mine in 5 years). The receptionist said they absolutely weren't doing them, but were doing smears, which I was also due and I could go onto the waiting list of people wanting their coils removed or replaced. At my smear appointment the nurse said that they are in fact currently removing / replacing them; you just have to request a telephone consultation with a GP to discuss first.

Thanks Mindutopia. I live between 2 cities, so will do some research. The first one I looked at said they're dealing with emergencies only, presuming this doesn't constitute an emergency.

Thanks BrieandChill. I usually still have period while on mine, in fact over the last year, they've fallen away, and I've only had a couple over the last 12 months, so I'm probably peri-menopausal. I just REALLY don't want to take any risk of getting pregnant. My youngest is 13, and neither DH nor I want any more children. My strings got lost last time mine needed changing, and I ended up having to go to the hospital for a scan and then replacement, so I definitely feel for you. 8 years is quite a while, it's a personal question, but is the coil the only thing you're relying on for contraception?

Huh, YouStupidBoy, interesting. I have to say the receptionist seemed really keen to help me, she definitely understood the frustration. Maybe our surgery will have a similar plan then...

The receptionist at mine was also lovely; I just think something had got lost in communication somewhere. Maybe you could ask to talk to the practice nurse?