On December 11 last year, the UK House of Commons’ Women and Equalities Committee published a parliamentary report exposing the poor state of reproductive healthcare in England. While media coverage has largely focused on delays in diagnosing and treating conditions like endometriosis, the report also sheds light on how routine procedures, such as the fitting and removal of contraceptive coils, are poorly communicated, inadequately managed, and often painfully experienced. My research with past and current coil users in Scotland shows the gaps in care were found to be equally stark.
For those who rely on the coil as a long-acting reversible (LARC) form of contraception, what should be a straightforward procedure can instead become a distressing ordeal. Many participants were unprepared for the pain of coil fitting and removal, which some described as "barbaric". This resulted from rushed appointments, and a lack of detailed and clear information about what was happening during procedures.
Some participants were told that "some pain was normal" and to only expect "a pinch" or "a nip". The intensity of pain experienced and its minimisation by healthcare practitioners left participants feeling misled and, in some cases, violated. Despite local anaesthetic being recommended for coil fittings by the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health , some participants were not offered pain relief, while others did not have their requests for pain relief met.
Aftercare was felt to be lac.
