How to Understand the Irregular Bleeding after Getting an IUD (Non-hormonal) for Birth Control?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
I have a lot of irregular bleeding after getting an IUD (non-hormonal) for birth control. I am getting new bleeding often, which is more than spotting.
I get random heavy brownish bleeding that stays heavy for a whole week. Then one week later, even heavier bright red bleeding comes, lasting two more weeks.
Sometimes, bleeding comes, then it stops for less than a day, and then keeps coming back as if it’s not going away.
Bleeding after intercourse, lasting a day to 3 days.
Do I refrain from prayer every time I bleed? Sometimes I can be bleeding for almost a month and not know which is my actual cycle. What do I do?
Answer
This kind of bleeding can be very frustrating and challenging for your marriage as well. Irregular and random bleeding, or heavier and longer periods, are common with an IUD, and it usually takes a few months for your body to get used to it. I should also caution you that one needs to look into the permissibility of an IUD; they may or may not be permissible, depending on your case.
Please check when your last normal period was (it is very important to track all your bleeding) and use that as your baseline.
You should consider your period for any bleeding after 15 days of purity. If that period goes on longer than 15 days, you should consider it istihadha’. However, if a heavier and longer period shows up after that (Such as the bright red of two weeks, occurring after the one week of brown), then your heavier and longer one will be considered menstruation, and in hindsight, the brown will have been istihadha’ and those prayers would have to be made up.
Any bleeding that shows up for less than a day over and over or bleeding after intercourse should be treated as istihadha’ unless it occurs within 15 days of your period. If it occurs during the time of purity, treat it as istihadha’.
May Allah facilitate matters for you, and don’t hesitate to follow up if something is unclear.
Please see the links below as well:
How to Deal with Irregular Cycles as a Result of Birth Control Use?
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqida, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
