Scarleteen

Hi, I've had a Mirena IUD for about a year and a half now and it's worked out great for me so far. However, this morning I started having really thick, clear discharge. From what I've gathered from online, it seems like I could be ovulating, which is something I wasn't aware could happen on the IUD (I check the strings regularly, nothing seems to be out of place). My question is, could I be ovulating and if so, should I use a backup method for the next week or so? I really don't want to have to use condoms, but at the same time I really don't want to risk getting pregnant right now. I'm in a long-term monogamous relationship so we generally don't use anything except the IUD (and sometimes withdrawal for peace of mind, though I'm not sure if that's really necessary?)

Without tracking your cervical mucus and basal temperature daily for several months, there's no way to know for sure if you're ovulating, and changes in discharge aren't always due to ovulation anyways. If it would make you feel better, you can use a backup method for the next week or so - condoms are a good idea regardless just because of the STI protection they offer - but as long as your IUD is still in place there's no reason to assume it isn't working. (If it helps to know, preventing ovulation is only one of the possible ways that the Mirena works, and it doesn't actually stop ovulation in every person who uses one, but it's still an incredibly effective method.)

Okay, thank you. I don't use condoms anymore because I've been dating the same guy exclusively for almost 3 years. So I don't really need to use condoms for pregnancy protection even if I'm ovulating?

If you want to have the most protection possible, adding in condoms is still a good idea (plus, if you're feeling anxiety about your IUD, they can add some peace of mind). IUDs have an incredibly high effectiveness rate, so you'll still be protected if you don't use a condom, but some people find using both helps them feel more secure.

Thanks! I think if it's not super necessary I probably won't use condoms at the moment since we use withdrawal as well.