Table 6.

Open survey responses regarding reported unwillingness to use a copper IUD: themes and categories.

1. Why not copper IUD
Themes	Categories	Sub-categories
Side effects (n = 182)	Established/common (n = 81)	General (n = 74)
		Severe (n = 7)
	Unspecific (n = 72)
	Other (n = 44)	Perforation, displacement (n = 12)
		Cysts, ectopic pregnancy, fertility, damage to uterus or ovaries (n = 6)
		Systemic/mental issues (n = 5)
		Copper/ metal (n = 22)
Other issues (n = 125)	Expulsion (n = 3)
	Pregnancy (n = 4)
	Endometriosis/PCOS (n = 4)
	Foreign object (n = 54)
	Feels unnatural (n = 5)
	Men should also be responsible (n = 4)
	Insufficient research/knowledge (n = 5)
	Unspecific/Other (n = 39)
Sources	Other people (n = 46)
	Own experiences (n = 17)
	Healthcare (n = 8)
	Reading (n = 6)