IUDs Are Getting More Popular With American Women
American women are increasingly opting for longer-lasting and highly effective forms of birth control, according to new federal data released on Tuesday. New numbers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics NCHS show women are choosing long-lasting reversible contraceptives LARC like the intrauterine device IUD and the implant more than they have in the past. According to the numbers, IUD use increased 83 from 20062010 to 20112013 and implants tripled in use during the same time period. Both methods are approximately 99 effective at preventing pregnancy. "I am delighted LARC use is rising. It's terrific and I would like to see even more," says Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the Yale School of Medicine. Overall, the use of LARC has increased fivefold in the past decade among women between the ages of 15 to 44, though overall usage remains low. Use spiked from 1.5 in 2002 to 7.2 in between 2011 and 2013. Women ages 25 to 34 are the most likely to choose LARC at 11 compared with 5 of women ages 15 to 24 and around 5.3 of women ages 35 to 44. As TIME previously reported, one reason for the slow uptake among American women is that older versions of the IUDs from the 1970s and '80s were plagued with problems. The new CDC data shows that LARC use declined between 1982 and 1988 and remained stable from 1988 to 1995. Today, IUDs are considered very safe and effective. Planned Parenthood told TIME it has experienced a 75 increase in IUD use among its patients since 2008. "I think the current generation of women haven't heard about the errors of the past, which is good," says Minkin. "They are looking anew at LARC and looking at them for the value they have. People can forget their pills. These other methods take the human variable out of it, and they work very nicely." Minkin was not involved in the new study., MORE Why the Best Form of Birth Control Is the One No One Is Using, New, separate data published Monday in the journal Contraception showed that among 500 female health care providers, 42 used LARC, which is significantly higher than the general population. Women in other countries are significantly more likely to use LARC, especially the IUD. Separate research has shown that 23 of French women using contraception use an IUD as well as 27 of Norwegian women and 41 of women in China. In the U.S. cost may be a factor the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive-health nonprofit, reports that their research shows sharp increases in the numbers of women who don't have to pay out of pocket for LARC thanks to the Affordable Care Act. Without insurance coverage, LARC can be prohibitively expensive for some  around 900 for an IUD, for instance. "If you have contraceptive coverage that makes it much more doable," says Minkin, "I think it increases the availability and viability for women.",