The Lived Experiences of Long-Term Users of Copper-T Intrauterine Devices: A phenomenological Qualitative Study among women at Kawempe National Referral Hospital in Uganda

Among women aged 15–49 in Kampala, Uganda, long-term Copper-T IUD users commonly report heavy menstrual bleeding, anxiety, and abdominal pain, shaping their continued use.

• Why it matters: Despite low failure rates and up to 12 years of protection, early discontinuation remains high in Uganda, so lived experiences and coping may help explain persistence and inform care.
• What they did: From September to November 2025, 20 in-depth interviews were conducted with women using a Cu-T IUD for at least two years at Kawempe National Referral Hospital, then analysed thematically using the Social-Ecological Model and Lazarus and Folkman’s stress-and-coping framework.
• The result: Users described both insertion and post-insertion experiences and used coping strategies—such as taking painkillers, home remedies, and resting—suggesting client-centred pre-insertion counselling and accessible follow-up could support long-term use.

AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.