My Quest for an IUD, the Best-Kept Birth Control Secret
I learned the hard way that the Pill makes me crazy.
It was the summer of 2006, and I was in a semi- weird place in my life, but nothing that should have been life-altering.
And yet I was exhausted every day, crying for no reason, and just about ready to bite the heads off of family and friends for looking at me the wrong way.
The nurse practitioner who had originally prescribed the Pill for me—when I was 16—had explained it could mess with my mood, but I had shrugged off her concerns. That summer, when my emotional world was collapsing, I confided in my mom. When she explained that nearly half of my extended family is on some sort of mood-stabilizing medication, monitoring my freakouts took on new meaning for me.
I argued and cried my way through the summer, holding on to the idea that a change of scenery come the fall (I was shipping off to study abroad in Paris) would knock me back into my normal emotional routine.
And then I went off the Pill.
For three years my emotions—while admittedly a little more over-the-top than some of my more stoic lady friends—were in check. Sure, I still had some epic bouts of PMS every now and then and semi-regular stress-meltdowns, but my emotions were at least borderline rational.
In the summer of 2009 I was legitimately high on life—I was settling into a dream job in a city I am absolutely in love with, and I was in the happy-go-lucky honeymoon phase of a budding relationship. I hadn’t been involved with someone seriously in a while, and when we decided to become monogamous, he told me how much he disliked condoms.
So I went back on the Pill.
It took surprisingly little time to feel my mood drop. By the third week, my high had flown out the window. I was crabby and annoyed, crying easily, and unsatisfied with the things that were making me ecstatic mere days before.
Afraid of slipping back to the darkness of the summer three years before, I contacted my doctor and told her what was going on. Unfortunately, she told me, pretty much every version of the Pill is likely to have some effect on mood. But she quickly wrote up a prescription for Microgestin, a Pill with a different combination of hormones that might lessen the effects.
That was in August. I noticed a difference with my new pill, but I still didn’t feel completely like myself. When the relationship fizzled out in November, I cursed myself for pumping myself full of hormones for someone who didn’t stick around. But because the Pill did wonders for my period and seriously eased my cramps, I stuck with the daily routine. By February I had started to feel like I was logging a few too many freakouts and I began considering other options.
I talked with my doctor in March about the possibility of getting an IUD. Despite their lingering bad rap, today’s intrauterine devices, Mirena and ParaGard, are not only safe and effective, but extremely popular. In other countries.
Only 2% of American women using contraception use an IUD according to 2007 data. In other countries, these numbers are much higher; 27% of Norwegian women use one!
Mirena, which releases a low dose of hormones, is made of soft plastic and is effective for five years. ParaGard, made from copper, is effective for up to 10 years and contains no hormones. The FDA recommends Mirena for women who have had at least one child, but ParaGard can work for anyone. The small, T-shaped device is thought to work by stopping sperm from reaching an egg, either because the copper in ParaGard acts as a spermicide, or the hormones in Mirena thicken cervical mucus.
My doctor soothed my concerns that I’d only be eligible for an IUD if I had a baby at home, and she was surprisingly positive about the IUD. Still, she suggested trying one more variation of the Pill first and if I was still unhappy, contacting an OB/GYN.
The concern in the past, she explained, was that IUDs may in some cases lead to infections from insertion. And while both are 99% effective in preventing pregnancy, neither protects against sexually transmitted diseases. Six months into a relationship, this monogamy thing still feels a little new to me, but with any luck, it’s going to last a long time, I assured her.
I decided I’d go for one more variation of the Pill—third time’s a charm, right? —so now I’m dutifully taking my Zovia daily. I feel much better than on the Microgestin, but still not completely like myself. Every time I feel myself choking up at a cheesy movie I would have previously dismissed with a scoff, or snapping a little too quickly at my manfriend, a little voice in the back of my mind whispers “Get a IUD already!” (Yes, I realize the implications of mentioning the voices in my head in a blog post about how crazy I am. These are hypothetical voices, I promise.)
Research suggests doctors are still hesitant to prescribe the devices, often because they are not up-to-date on the facts. The IUD got its bad rap from the Dalkon Shield, which led to a number of deaths in the 1970s before manufacturers stopped selling it. The United States staged a massive anti-IUD freakout, while the devices simply gained in popularity around the world. Many doctors also were never properly trained in insertion, so they don’t feel comfortable prescribing an IUD.
At a one-time cost of $175 to $650, including insertion, according to Planned Parenthood, it’s not exactly cheap, but those monthly Pill costs add up, so I’d be saving money in the long-term. And there’s nothing to remember to swallow daily or check monthly, just one insertion and that’s it. I’m willing to put up with the common side effects, like minor spotting and initial cramping, if it means a birth-control-free-mind after that.
But more than anything, I just want to be myself. I sick of my boobs hurting when I go jogging and this never-ending what-am-I-forgetting anxiety and my eyes swollen from crying every other day. I take care of my body in so many other ways—eating healthily, working out, getting good sleep—that pumping my body full of hormones seems contradictory to everything I stand for.
I think I’m ready. I just wish I knew someone who had one, that BFF who could answer every single question from what does insertion feel like, to how do they get it out, to will my partner feel it during sex. So few women in America use an IUD, it’s become the best kept birth control secret. So tell me, what’s your experience with an IUD?
For more information on birth control, check out: Barrier Birth Control and Hormonal Birth Control
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10 Comments
I would also love to hear from women over 40 who use an IUD. I’m over 40 - the age when using the Pill increases many health risks - so am thinking of an IUD. I don’t know anyone who uses one!
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Lovely Lady Reply:
July 28th, 2012 at 5:14 pm
I am 47 and I use a copper IUD. I’m in the UK, where all contraception is available for free on the NHS (yes, the wonderful amazing blessed NHS). It costs the NHS less than £10 (about 15 US dollars), and it lasts for ten years. I’ve never had children. My cycle is a little shorter, and my period is a little longer and a bit heavier than it was, but otherwise I would never know I had a copper device inside my uterus. My lover (who is generously hung) says that sometimes, when he’s very deep inside me, he can feel the string that hangs outside the cervix so that it can be retrieved if necessary. But he also says it’s not a problem, not uncomfortable. His previous lover also had a coil, and he said the string was cut too short for her and it kinda poked the end of his dick, I asked the doctor who inserted mine to cut the string fairly long so that it would curl up rather than poke out. After it was inserted, I felt a bit cramp for a day or two, and I felt weird about having a foreign object inside me for about two weeks. I love having a coil, I can’t believe so few women in the US consider it an option.
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Hi! I am a mom of three, 28 years old, and I have had mirena for the last 4 years. I also have had a couple of friends get a mirena. I have had a good experience. I would recommend finding a really really good doctor that is well versed in iud’s b/c as you mentioned, many of the horror stories out there are from it being improperly inserted. Mirena’s website has a good FAQ that addresses many questions.
I had alot of cramping when it was inserted and off and on spotting, but it was tolerable. It does make periods lighter and less, and in I think 20% of women, they stop altogether. I wasn’t lucky enough for that, but it is nice for the lighter periods. I haven’t had it taken out yet, so I don’t know what that will feel like, but probably similar to insertion, mild cramping for a couple of days.
I have read many horror stories though of complications and there is a risk it could perforate your uterus. Also, there is a string that hangs down for removal, my husband can’t feel it, but I have read of people saying they do feel it during sex. The OB can cut the strings a little bit shorter to help with that I think.
As with any contraception, weigh risks vs benefits and def find a great OB.GYN. Sorry I can’t comment on the other IUD, but hope this helps some :o)
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Unfortunately I did not have such a good experience with the Mirena. I had it in for two months then had it removed because of side effects. I too am super sensitive to birthcontrol hormones, particularly Progesterone, which is the hormone in Mirena. I had quite a bit of weight gain around my abdomen (went from a nice flat belly to looking like I was 4 months pregnant), My hair started falling out by the handfull (still having problems with that after 2 months of it being removed), I was feeling really ornery, and the worst and most embarassing thing was an odor that began almost immediately (decomposing meat), which I now have found out is not that unusual depending on your body chemistry. Also, there was no infection or poor placement as I ended up back at the OBGYN office once a week after it was inserted. The good news is that with the exception of my hair, all the other side effects stopped within two days of removal.
Just thought I had better let people know. Oh, and most of these side effects are not listed by the manufacturer. However, my OBGYN says that he hears a lot of the same complaints and there are forums on the web about it.
Good luck!!
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Hi there I am on my second Mirena at the age of 45. And I love it. It has worked like a charm with both insertion and removal of the first one. If you wish to ask me any questions please email I will surely try and answer for you.
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I don’t like the idea of extra hormones in my body, and well, condoms just aren’t all that awesome when in a monogamous relationship. So after thinking about it for a while I decided to get the Paragard copper IUD.
So far, I am really glad I did. The insertion was not that painful (some sharp cramping and a little lightheadedness but over very quickly, in fact I walked home afterwards). I have had spotting and some cramping in between periods, and yes my periods have been heavier and a little bit longer than normal so-far, but none of these side effects are that bad. I am hoping that they will actually subside over time, and my doc said there’s a good chance they will.
I would recommend the Paragard to anyone who wants long-term, hormone-free birth control.
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Wow, are spirals that uncommon in the USA?!?
I have the exact opposite experience with the pill: I kind of flat-line instead of getting high/low. So I don’t use it any more, hate it too. The Norwegian number you mentioned for spirals I think is pretty average for most of Europe. Most of my (dutch) friends use one. I’m afraid it would add to my already killing cramps though.
You mention only two types, but there are so many more. Is there a restricted choice in the USA?
I don’t know where to put a tip like this, but I’ll just put it up here because I wish I’d heard about it earlier. Something that makes the monthly cramps just (only just) bearable for me when nothing else helps: masturbating. The uterus relaxes after an orgasm, releaving you from the cramps for a short while. Of course they will build up again, but so long as you don’t run out of orgasms, you’ll feel a whole lot better!
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Thank you to everyone who took the time to leave comments!
I’m happy to report that I went ahead and had the copper, hormone-free Paragard inserted last week. And even though I’ve only been sporting my new birth control for a few days, so far I think it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
I no longer have to think about birth control on a daily basis! That means no more freaking out when I take the pill an hour late or forget it until the next day, and no more last-minute trips to the pharmacy when I’m just about out of time to pick up a refill. If I don’t want to, I don’t need to think about birth control for the next decade.
It didn’t hurt…too bad! I was expecting hell when it came to the physical pain of insertion and the weeks after. I won’t lie—the cramps during insertion were no walk in the park. There are two big cramps during the five-minute procedure, one when the OB/GYN measures your uterus, and another when he or she actually inserts the device. The doc was right to warn me; each time really did feel like the worst period cramp I’d ever had. But the beauty of it was they were over almost as soon as they started. Compared to the worst period cramps, which can seem everlasting, these were a synch. I made sure to take ibuprofen regularly for the next 24 hours to lessen the heavy cramping, but I felt good enough to enjoy the rest of my day. I took the day off from work in anticipation of wanting to do nothing but hide under the covers, but I really would have been just fine back in the office. By the second day, I found myself reaching for the ibuprofen only once. Today’s Day 3, and there’s still a bit of light bleeding, but I hardly feel a thing and I’m med-free!
I haven’t yet had a chance to do the deed—my boyfriend and I are in different cities at the moment—and I’m still a little nervous that he may feel the strings of the device during sex, but mostly I can’t wait to put my new IUD to good use!
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19 years old. I have the mirenna IUD.I’ve had it for almost a year now. I tried birth control pills but would forget to take them daily. Yaz also caused alot of reactions in my body from swelling to feeling really sick. I decided i did not want to take the pill anymore because of those reasons and decided to go for the IUD. I chose Mirenna because of the hormonal dosage it includes. I had heavy and long periods and excruciating cramps. Even though rumors say that the IUD’s are bad, my doctor said it prevents cervical cancers and other things as well. It is way more effective than the shot, pill, and ring.
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Good choice with the Paraguard. I’ve had mind for about four years and I still love it. I did experience the heavier than normal period and bad cramps for about the first year, but it was still manageable. My SO does feel the string, but he says he doesn’t bother him, however, I did have my physician cut it a bit shorter. Hope all is going well with it.
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