Women are Turning Their IUD Implants Into Necklaces

TikTok has brought a variety of questionable fashion trends to our attention: acrylic rings, jeans turned into jackets, the resurgence of low waisted jeans, and now IUD necklaces... yes, you read that last one right.

There are a growing number of women opting to keep their intrauterine devices (IUD) after they've been (often painfully) removed and keeping them as a badge of honour.

Check out one woman's IUD creation here:

Some have opted to frame the contraceptive devices and keep them in memory boxes or, intriguingly, turn them into jewellery.

Videos on TikTok, like Jorie Jaden's, show women fashioning their IUD into a necklace, attaching a chain or some rope and then wearing it around their neck on the daily - with videos like this amassing millions of views.

Some have explained how immortalising their IUDs makes them feel empowered. "Reproductive care saves lives. Thanks for supporting my weird creations!", one wrote.

For anyone unacquainted, an IUD is a form of female contraception comprising a small, T-shaped device made from plastic and copper that's inserted into the uterus and either releases copper or the hormone progestogen (in an IUS) to prevent pregnancy.

An IUD needs to be replaced every five to 10 years, according to the NHS, and it seems increasing numbers of women are asking their doctor if they can keep them as a souvenir.

So, why would you want to keep hold of something - let alone wear it as a fashion accessory - that has been inside you for years and, for some, has caused cramps, mood swings and heavy bleeding?

We spoke to some women who explained what the appeal is.

Jorie created a storm when she posted a video to her 1.2 million TikTok followers showing how she turned her IUD into a necklace as a present for her partner. The video attracted over 200,000 likes and 3000 comments.

She explains why she thought it would make a thoughtful gift: "As a teen mother it was very heavily pushed on me to start a form of birth control once my daughter was born.

"I choose the IUD, then shortly after getting it I came out as lesbian. I knew all along if I was true to myself and escaped my situation, it would be unnecessary. I still went ahead and got it to please other people, despite it being my body."

Jorie then explained how she flew in the face of expectation by turning her birth control into a necklace.

"When it was removed I decided to keep it and make it into a necklace for my girlfriend. It really felt like a f*** you to the men in my life claiming [birth control] was necessary. Especially around a women’s neck."

Kait Smith, who didn't turn her IUD into a necklace but was able to keep it, said: "I think I chose to keep it because it was something that was a part of me for a while. There is sort of a sentimental value attached to it, especially after the pain women go through to get them inserted.

"Birth control and period management is a deeply personal part of someone’s life and people dismiss it, but it impacts a huge part of a woman’s body. I didn’t realize how much it meant to me until I had it out and I had to sort of reconcile with the fact that it wasn’t a part of me anymore."

She added: "It sounds sort of cheesy but it did hormonally change my body and for me those changes impact me emotionally as well as physically."

However, the protocol of keeping the contraceptive after removal seems to be uncertain and not every doctor will let people keep their IUD.

Lindsey Risch is one woman who wanted to take hers home and turn it into a necklace, but her doctor didn't let her.

She said: "I WISH I had been able to keep it. The doctor told me it was against policy at that facility to let someone take home 'biohazardous waste'."