IUD delays for women in Geelong region

Women in the Geelong region can face long waits to access an increasingly popular contraceptive. Here’s why.

Dr Geraldine Masson from Barwon Health.

Women in the Geelong region can face long waits to access an increasingly popular contraceptive.

Intra-uterine devices (IUDs) are an effective method of contraception that lasts for five years or more, and are available in copper or hormonal forms.

Women’s Health and Wellbeing Barwon South West told a Senate inquiry into universal access to reproductive healthcare that the region had wait lists of three to four months for a private IUD provider and at times over 12 months for a public provider.

“Australia has a world class public health system, yet the sexual and reproductive health needs of women, girls and gender diverse people are not being consistently or adequately met across the country,” the submission said.

A copper IUD.

“Service provision lacks co-ordination and access to services is often very limited and, as a result, inequitable.”

Barwon Health sees a small number of patients through its gynaecology outpatient clinic for IUD insertion, director of women’s services Geraldine Masson said.

“Patients are referred for a variety of reasons, including heavy menstrual bleeding and contraception,” Dr Masson said.

“All referrals are triaged according to their urgency.

“Most patients are seen within three to six months.”

Western Victoria Primary Health Network clinical spokeswoman Anne Stephenson said there appeared to have been a recent increase in demand for IUDs which had caused waiting times to grow.

If none of the GPs at your practice conduct IUD procedures, most GPs would know of others who would insert them in the Barwon South-West region, Dr Stephenson said.

“GPs considering offering IUD procedures are required to attend courses to learn about IUDs and how to insert them,” she said.

“These can be costly for GPs to self-fund and attend, and it also requires additional indemnity insurance.

“This may be deterring some GPs from undertaking the training.”

Dr Stephenson said IUDs had many advantages and provided a highly effective form of

contraception that was rapidly reversible once the device was removed.

“They are relatively inexpensive over time because of the long duration of use and can be used by many women who are unable to use the oral contraceptive pill,” she said.

“IUDs also have disadvantages such as relatively high upfront costs to purchase the device and have it inserted.

“As we are seeing with wait times, they also require the insertion procedure to be done by a trained health professional and this may be difficult to access in some areas.”

Originally published as IUD delays for women in Geelong region