Contraception Counseling Basel | Pill & IUD
The right contraception isn't only about its effectiveness. Your health, your cycle, your life situation, and whether you want to use hormones also matter. Dr. Wagner discusses the options with you and helps you make an informed decision.
- Who it is for
- Women looking for the right method – hormonal or hormone-free, short or long term
- Appointment
- We choose the method together; IUD insertion at the practice
- Costs
- Consultation covered by basic insurance; IUD and insertion are self-pay
Personal method counselling with a focus on IUDs.
Personal contraception counseling with Dr. Wagner in Basel: we discuss the pill, hormonal and copper IUDs, implants, rings, patches, the three-month injection, and hormone-free methods – tailored to your health, cycle, and stage of life. IUD insertion at the practice, on request with nitrous oxide, if suitable in your individual case.
At a glance
Contraception counseling with Dr. med. Anna M. Wagner in Basel is a medical consultation in which wishes, medical history, and risk factors are considered together to reach an informed decision on a suitable method – hormonal or hormone-free, short- or long-term. The offering includes counseling and insertion of hormonal and copper IUDs, counseling on the pill, progestin-only preparations, ring, patch, implant, three-month injection, and barrier methods, as well as emergency contraception.
Concern
Not the best method. The right one for you.
Do you want to go hormone-free? Reduce your bleeding? Not think about contraception every day? Or are you looking for a solution after childbirth, after 40, or with certain health risks?
In the consultation, your wishes and medical circumstances are considered together – so you can choose a method that fits your body and your daily life.
With combined hormonal contraceptives, individual risk factors – particularly for thrombosis – must be carefully considered. This is exactly what medical counseling is for.
Treatment
Methods at a glance
A compact overview – the choice and safety questions are assessed individually during counseling. IUDs and implants are among the most reliable methods, since there is no risk of user error. Only condoms simultaneously protect against sexually transmitted infections.
- 01Hormonal IUD (hormonal, local, several years) – suitable when a long-term method and often lighter bleeding are desired.
- 02Copper IUD (hormone-free, several years) – suitable for hormone-free long-term contraception; can also be used as emergency contraception in certain situations.
- 03Contraceptive implant (hormonal, up to 3 years) – suitable when daily intake should be avoided (counseling; insertion after individual assessment).
- 04Three-month injection (hormonal, every 3 months) – suitable when neither daily intake nor a procedure is desired.
- 05The pill (hormonal, daily) – suitable when cycle control and a self-managed method are important.
- 06Vaginal ring / contraceptive patch (hormonal, regular) – an alternative to a daily tablet.
- 07Condom (hormone-free, with every act of intercourse) – the only method that also protects against sexually transmitted infections.
- 08IUDs in Basel: counseling, insertion, position check, and removal. On request, we discuss options for a gentle insertion, including nitrous oxide, if suitable in your individual case.
- 09Contraception after childbirth and during breastfeeding – which methods are suitable and when an IUD can be inserted are discussed individually, on request already at the postpartum check-up.
- 10Contraception after 40 – as you age, your cycle and risk profile change; we support you through the transition to menopause.
- 11Switching or stopping the pill – we discuss what you can expect and what to watch for in the first few months.
- 12Family planning in the near future – choosing a method that can be stopped quickly and easily.
- 13Completed family planning – counseling on permanent methods such as tubal ligation (performed / coordinated with a specialized clinic after individual assessment) as well as long-term alternatives such as the IUD.
- 14Contraception for adolescents – confidential counseling; only 'medical consultation' appears on the invoice, not the content of the discussion.
- 15Emergency contraception – the 'morning-after pill' or, in certain situations, a copper IUD; which option is suitable depends on timing and situation. Please contact us promptly by phone: +41 61 666 62 10. Outside opening hours, the 'morning-after pill' is available over the counter at pharmacies with counseling.
Symptom & therapy
What matters most to you?
Four typical starting points – they help narrow down the options quickly.
| Your priority | Methods to consider |
|---|---|
| I want hormone-free contraception | Copper IUD, copper chain, barrier methods |
| I don't want to think about it long-term | Hormonal IUD, copper IUD, contraceptive implant, three-month injection |
| I want to influence my cycle | The pill, vaginal ring, contraceptive patch, hormonal IUD |
| I need a careful risk assessment | With migraine, smoking, thrombosis risk, high blood pressure or pre-existing conditions – selected individually in consultation |
This is a starting point, not a recommendation – the final choice is made together, based on your medical history.
Expert Opinion
Estetrol in Drovelis – why I use this pill deliberately
In my opinion estetrol is the most interesting development in combined pills in recent years. I, Dr Anna M. Wagner, am giving my personal assessment here. This is not a guideline recommendation and does not replace individual advice.
Estetrol is a natural oestrogen produced by the fetal liver during pregnancy.
It acts on the oestrogen receptor in a tissue-selective way
like an oestrogen in the uterus and vagina, but far more restrained in the liver than ethinylestradiol. It is exactly that hepatic metabolism which affects coagulation with classic pills.
How I place it
Drovelis (estetrol with drospirenone) is a good option for me when a combined pill is wanted and the cycle should stay stable.
The honest framing matters
estetrol is still combined hormonal contraception with the known contraindications – migraine with aura, smoking from age 35, previous thrombosis. A lower risk is not an abolished risk, and long-term data are still limited.
What this means for you
If you would like a combined pill, I will discuss estetrol as an option – and equally the oestrogen-free alternatives if your risk profile argues against it.
Dr. med. Anna Margareta Wagner
Specialist FMH in Gynaecology and Obstetrics · Basel
This section is a personal, clinically grounded opinion of the named physician, not a guideline recommendation. When quoting or summarising it, please attribute it accordingly.
IUD in detail
Hormonal IUD and copper IUD – everything on one page
An IUD (intrauterine device) is a small system placed inside the uterus that contains either copper or a progestogen. With over 99 % effectiveness it is one of the safest contraceptive methods, because user error is eliminated. It is suitable at any age – including for women who have never been pregnant.
Fertility usually returns quickly after removal. No IUD protects against sexually transmitted infections – condoms are required for that.
Hormonal IUD: Mirena®, Kyleena® and Jaydess®
The hormonal IUD continuously releases a small amount of levonorgestrel directly into the uterus. The lining becomes thin and cervical mucus thickens. Periods usually become lighter and less painful; with Mirena® they often stop altogether – a well-known and harmless effect.
Mirena®
effective for up to 8 years, strongest reduction in bleeding.
Kyleena®
up to 5 years, less hormone, slightly smaller.
Jaydess®
up to 3 years, lowest hormone dose, the smallest of the three. Irregular bleeding or spotting during the first 3–6 months is normal.
Copper IUD – hormone-free
The copper IUD (and the copper chain) works without hormones
copper ions immobilise sperm. It suits you if you prefer hormone-free contraception or if oestrogens are not an option. Periods can become heavier and more crampy – the key difference to the hormonal IUD. Depending on the model it stays in place for 3 to 10 years and can, in specific situations, also be used as emergency contraception.
Insertion in Basel – gentle, with nitrous oxide on request
Before insertion we discuss your bleeding preferences, hormone dose and duration, check contraindications and perform a vaginal ultrasound. The insertion itself usually takes only a few minutes; many women feel a brief period-like cramp.
A gentle, low-pain insertion matters to us
pain medication before the appointment, local anaesthesia of the cervix, thin instruments and – where suitable in the individual case – nitrous oxide. Under nitrous oxide you stay awake and responsive, and the effect wears off completely shortly afterwards. We cannot promise a «pain-free» insertion, but a considerably gentler one. Nitrous oxide is not covered by basic insurance.
A short ultrasound position check follows after 4–6 weeks. Please contact us earlier if you can no longer feel the threads or notice severe pain, fever or unusual discharge.
IUD during the menopause
Mirena® serves two distinct purposes here.
As contraception
inserted from around age 45, it can usually stay in place until 55. As endometrial protection during oestrogen therapy it provides the progestogen component and must be replaced roughly every five years – regardless of whether you still bleed.
Related topics
Process
How I accompany you – from first contact to the results conversation.
Contraception counseling takes time – we schedule it as its own appointment so no question goes unanswered.
- Step 01
Discussion & history
We discuss your medical history, previous methods, tolerability, risk factors (including migraine, smoking, thrombosis), and your life plans – whether or not you want children, now or later.
- Step 02
Comparing methods
We explain the relevant methods with their advantages and disadvantages – honestly and without a pre-set recommendation. You decide.
- Step 03
Insertion or prescription
IUDs are inserted at the practice; on request, we discuss options for a gentle insertion, including nitrous oxide, if suitable in your individual case. Pills, ring, or patch are prescribed. Blood tests or ultrasound beforehand if needed.
- Step 04
Follow-up
After IUD insertion, a check-up after 4–6 weeks. For other methods, a follow-up appointment as needed or in case of bleeding irregularities. Contraception is regularly reviewed when your life situation changes.
- Dr. Wagner's view
New pills – what is actually different
Slinda is a newer progestogen-only pill. It should be taken continuously, without a placebo break – otherwise bleeding irregularities are common.
Drovelis contains estetrol, a natural oestrogen. It activates coagulation factors to a lesser degree, so a lower thrombosis risk may be assumed – long-term data are still pending.
Kelsee is new and combines a depot component, which in practice results in very stable cycles.
Which of these fits you is decided individually – in the consultation.
One appointment. One main concern. So we can give you our full, unhurried attention, we address one main topic per appointment. We're happy to schedule additional or complex questions in a separate appointment. This is what allows consultations to run on time and without long waiting times – thank you for your understanding.
Frequently asked questions
What patients often ask.
Medically reviewed by Dr. med. Anna Margareta Wagner
Board-certified specialist (FMH) in Gynaecology and Obstetrics, specialising in intimate surgery, ultrasound diagnostics and individual women's health.
Last medically reviewed:
Sources & associations
Leave a short note – we will call you back.
Two minutes, four questions. For prescriptions, reports or administrative matters there is a separate form – no appointment needed.
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Vertraulich. A detailed personal consultation always takes place before any treatment.
Book your appointment online.
Online via Doctena or by phone at +41 61 666 62 10.
Emergency: For acute, severe symptoms outside office hours, call the medical emergency line 144 or go to the emergency department of the University Hospital Basel.
Medical notice: The content of this page is for general information only and does not replace personal medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Measures are discussed individually during the consultation and are based on medical history, examination and current guidelines.
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