NYC launches IUD birth control campaign

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - New York City's latest ad campaign is getting right to the point when it comes to contraception. One ad reads "You spent the night in Brooklyn. But you left your birth control in Staten Island. Maybe the IUD is right for you." The city's Health Department is directing the campaign at women by pushing one method of birth control: IUD, or intrauterine device.  It is a small, T-shaped birth control device that a health care provider inserts into a woman’s uterus.

"All women, regardless of life circumstances or ability to pay, have the right to make informed choices about their reproductive health and act on those choices by receiving accurate information and easy access to the full range of birth control options," Dr. Mary Bassett, the health commissioner, said in a news release. "As part of our five-year campaign, the Health Department will partner with community organizations to elevate the conversation around sexual and reproductive justice in New York City."

The Health Department says IUDs are safe for most women, low maintenance, highly effective at preventing pregnancy, and last between 3 and 10 years. They do not require any ongoing effort, like taking a pill daily.  An IUD can be removed at any time it is no longer desired, and will not affect a woman’s ability to get pregnant after it is removed. 

The a will be on subways and bus shelters across the city over the next three months.

“This is a unique opportunity for the reproductive justice movement,” said Dr. Lynn Roberts, emeritus SisterSong Board Member and Assistant Professor of Community Health at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Public Health. “This is the first time reproductive justice advocates have worked directly with a health department.”