A new and unlikely fashion trend has emerged in Colorado for sporting jewelry in the shape of IUDs - birth control implants otherwise known as intrauterine devices . Wearing the glittery , brightly-colored objects as earrings or , in the case of men , lapel pins , is a show of support for a new bill which would plunge $ 5million in state funding into a program which supplies this form of birth control to low-income women . The jewelry has been purchased by more than 200 lobbyists and lawmakers in favor of the Colorado Family Planning Initiative , from web retailer Etsy , and is crafted out of resin by Dr Virginia Smith , an OB-GYN based in Ohio . Trending : Wearing these IUD replicas is a show of support for a new bill which would allocate $ 5million in state funding into a program which supplies this form of birth control to low-income women in Colorado . IUDs are small T-shaped implants which , when inserted into the uterus , prevent pregnancy from occurring for between three and 12 years , or simply until removed . IUDs ( intrauterine devices ) are small T-shaped implants which are fitted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy . They work by interfering with the way sperm usually fertilize an egg , and are more than 99 % effective . IUDs last anywhere between two and 12 years , depending on the type . The implants must be fitted and removed by licensed healthcare providers . Once they are removed , a woman can generally become pregnant straight away . The Colorado Family Planning Initiative has handed out an estimated 30,000 of these contraceptives since its inception in 2009 , and up until now , has been grant-funded . According to ThinkProgress , this program has contributed to a 40per cent drop in teen births over the past five years . The new legislation , expected to be introduced on Friday , would allocate $ 5million of state funds to the cause , allowing IUDs to be fitted for free or at little cost in 68 clinics across Colorado . Some conservatives and anti-choice lawmakers , however , stand against the program , with some - including Republican Senator Kevin Lundberg - even incorrectly claiming IUDs cause abortions . Dr Jennifer Hyer , a Denver-based OB-GYN , dismissed these claims as neither 'medically ' nor 'scientifically ' accurate , in a statement distributed by NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado . 'They are among the most effective forms of contraception , especially for at-risk women , because they automatically prevent pregnancy , ' she said . Glittery : The resin jewelry has been purchased by more than 200 lobbyists and lawmakers in favor of the bill , from web retailer Etsy , and is made by Dr Virginia Smith , an OB-GYN based in Ohio . Republican House Rep. Don Coram is actually in disagreement with members of his own party on this issue , and has taken to wearing one of Dr Smith 's IUD pins on his lapel as a sign of his support for the bill . ' A redneck Republican wearing an IUD - it just does n't make sense does it ? ' Mr Coram told The Herald . 'Seriously though , I think this is one of the most important bills we are looking at . ' Dr Smith , who has seen business for her IUD jewelry go through the roof recently , told ABC 's 7News Denver : ' I think women should have access to options and so if this promotes access to options then I think that is a good thing . '
The earrings and lapel pins , which cost $ 20 , are sold on Etsy and made by Dr Virginia Smith , an Colorado-based OB-GYN . They have been adopted and worn by lobbyists who support a program called the Ohio Family Planning Initiative . This state program supplies intrauterine devices , a safe and long-term form of birth control , to low-income women . It now requires $ 5million in public funding , and has already been credited with reducing teen births in Ohio by 40 % in five years .