Because I am a Woman
This blog is about sex-positivity, sex-ed, feminism, reproductive rights and activism.
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The IUD is the most effective form of birth control, along with the Implant and sterilization. It is a small T shaped device inserted into the uterus. There are two types; hormonal and copper. The copper IUD is the only form of non-hormonal birth control. It can cost quite a lot, up to 1,000 dollars but the hormonal form lasts around five years and the copper lasts 12 years so it’s worth it.
The IUD works by effecting the way sperm moves and alters the lining of the uterus, which prevents implantation and fertilization. The hormonal forms use progestin, which keeps eggs from being released and thickens the cervical mucus which makes sperm not able to move.
The IUD is relatively controversial when it comes to its safety. Many doctors still prefer not to use it unless the person has given birth, even though new forms of the IUD have proven safe to use even if you haven’t given birth. Yes, some people have bad reactions and intense pain from the insertion, but every form of birth control has its risks and people react differently to every form. It is best not to use IUDs if you’ve had a recent pelvic infection, think you might be pregnant, have cervical cancer or uterine cancer, have unexplained bleeding in your vagina, have pelvic tuberculosis. Also, it’s best to not use the copper IUD if you have a metal allergy. Occasionally the IUD can perforate the uterus during insertion but that is rare. Infections are also rare. More likely (although still not common) the IUD can move position or fall out. It has strings that come through your cervix and if everything is okay can be felt in the vagina. If at any point those strings disappear or change at all you should see a doctor. You should especially check after each period as that is when it’s most likely to shift.
Reasons to get IUDs may be sensitivity to hormones (for the copper IUD), bad periods (hormonal IUD), wanting the most effective form of birth control you can get, and not having to worry about birth control again for a long time. It has been used to treat endometriosis. Plus, unlike other forms of birth control you can have sex right away. The hormonal kind is effective immediately if inserted within seven days after the start of your period. If it’s inserted at another point in your cycle, use back up for a week. There can be side effects, some people especially at first have irregular menstrual cycles or cramping. Any time you are in a lot of pain or feel the IUD shift or have major menstrual chances see a doctor.
Of course, the IUD has to be inserted and taken out by a doctor. It’s usually a simple procedure that some people find quite painful but the pain should fade pretty quickly. It is common for cramping and light bleeding to occur for one or two days. You’ll probably be checked for infections before hand. You should also get regular check ups to make sure everything is as it should be.
The copper IUD can even be used as emergency contraception up to five days after risky sex. In fact it’s considered one of the most effective forms of emergency contraception, although it is more expensive than other forms.
It is important to still use condoms and get tested regularly for STIs with the IUD. If you have an STI or other infection at the time of insertion the infection can be transferred to your Uterus or Fallopian Tubes by the IUD.
For those interested in getting an IUD, check out my post on my own experiences with the process. I’ve had mine for a couple of weeks now. Feel free to ask if you have any questions about it!
*not all men have the requisite parts and some women do
But this is awesome.
(via fuckyeahsexeducation)
They had us at the mention of “naked”—and then they brought up birth control! (Swoon.)
This is an awesome article.
sex is complicated and people are weird: Having Your IUD Inserted: What to Expect
Yesterday I finally took the leap and got an IUD! After months of issues with my birth control pill and the release of new information about significant risks associated with my particular brand I gave in and scheduled an appointment. Before I went in, I was pretty anxious…
I shouldn’t recommend this, and feel free to discuss it with an actual medical professional, but holy crap.
I’ve had a miscarriage and I’ve stepped on a screwdriver so badly it’s gone through my foot (and had to yank it out on my own). I’ve a fairly high tolerance for pain.
Getting my Mirena inserted was the worst pain I have ever felt in my life, ever. Because I’d never actually given birth, they had to force my cervix open to a width it had never gone before and it hurt so. Fucking. Badly. I was in tears the entire time and for hours afterward. I had ridden my bike to the doctor’s office because I didn’t have a car; I had to call my father (I was 25 at this point in time, so no longer living with my parents) to come pick me and the bike up because I couldn’t see straight from the pain.
I had taken ibuprofen about an hour before the procedure. It did nothing. It turns out there’s a reason Mirena isn’t generally recommended for people who haven’t had children, and it has almost nothing to do with side-effects while the IUD is in place.
That said, I love my IUD with a passion, despite the occasional issues I have with it. But the insertion was painful and I dread the day I have to get the thing yanked out (which is next year, actually).
My dad’s an emergency nurse from the Army. He saw me in this much pain and broke several laws and gave me one of his own 500 miligram pills of Vicodin, two hours after the procedure when I was still crying because it hurt so bad. It was the only thing to make the pain go away.
I went back to the doctor a few days later and they checked everything out. There’s nothing wrong down there; apparently this sort of pain is somewhat normal in people who have never given birth before.
So if you’re going to get a Mirena inserted and you’ve never given birth before, discuss the pain level with your doctor well ahead of time, and if you happen to be on prescription painkillers, consider taking one just prior to your appointment. Because holy. Fucking. Shit. I’m crossing my legs and trying not to cry just remembering the pain.
i am getting this done in like a week and a half.
i am actually crying really hard right now, someone remind me to delete this later, i feel like i am going to vomit at any second thinking about this
I think its really really important to remember that one person’s horrible experience isn’t exactly the norm in IUD experiences. Its important to be prepared, but I wouldn’t expect a similar experience. If someone was in so much pain they couldn’t walk, their doctor probably should’ve taken some steps before sending them home. Its going to be okay, I promise!
(via amarobotic)
Yesterday I finally took the leap and got an IUD! After months of issues with my birth control pill and the release of new information about significant risks associated with my particular brand I gave in and scheduled an appointment. Before I went in, I was pretty anxious about what I would experience, and didn’t find a lot of information about what would actually happen once I got there readily available. Now that I have experienced it, I thought it would be really helpful to share with everyone else how getting an IUD really works!
Below you will find information about what an IUD is and my own personal experiences having an IUD inserted. It is very important to remember that these were my experiences, and that in general experiences will vary depending on your own body. It is also important to know that I got the hormonal IUD Mirena and not a copper device.
What is the IUD? The IUD is a match-stick sized t-shaped rod inserted into your uterus to help prevent pregnancy. They come in two kinds: copper (ParaGard) and hormonal (Mirena). Since my own experiences were only with Mirena, this is what I will be concentrating on here.
The Mirena device works by releasing small amounts of progestin locally which thickens your cervical mucus (which blocks sperm from meeting with an egg), and prevents eggs from being released. This basically means that it prevents pregnancy and not the transmission of STIs (you should use barrier methods as well if you are hoping to do this!). As a form of contraception, Mirena is 99% effective. The IUD is thought to be the safest and most effective form of birth control on the market. It lasts up to 5 years, which makes it a fantastic option for young people looking for something easy and long-term. Although Mirena may have a large upfront cost, in the long-term it often ends up being a very cheap method. Many insurance companies will cover it in full, so make sure you check with your provider!
Mirena is also wonderful since it can decrease menstrual flow, sometimes stopping it completely, and help with cramps after the device settles in. However, it also comes with many side effects unique to this method such as: More spotting, pain during/after insertion, cramping, and rarely uterus perforation which can be very serious. However, since Mirena doesn’t have estrogen it isn’t associated with many of the negative side effects that you usually get with hormonal birth control such as the pill.
The IUD is inserted using a long tube that looks something like what you see in the image below. This image also can give you a good idea of where in the body the IUD sits.
As you can sort of see in this picture, the threads of your IUD will hang down past your cervix. This is so you can reach up every now and then and check to see if they are still there. However, often they settle into your body and even curl up around the outside of your cervix which makes it pretty hard to feel. On the bright side, this also means that the strings won’t be felt with a partner during penetrative intercourse which is a possibility during the first month or so with your IUD. The strings wouldn’t hurt a partner, but many people do report that they can sometimes tell they are there.
It is also of note that the IUD is effective immediately after it is inserted. With Mirena, this actually means that it is effective immediately if you have the device inserted during the first 7 days after your period. Otherwise, you should probably use a back-up method for the first week. Either way, you should consult with your doctor about it.
Now on to my own experiences…
Before the Procedure: There are a couple of things you can do before the procedure to help it go smoothly, and I want to make sure everyone knows how much they can help. It can mean the difference between a little bit of pain and a very short procedure, or a lot of pain and a procedure that lasts a couple minutes longer. Here is what you can do:
- Take pain killers: Really, do this. Taking over the counter pain medication will help you deal with the pain. I took 800 mg of ibuprofen before and after I got my IUD, and I really do think it helped, (I assume when it wore off was when I had to go home because of the pain, keep reading for that statement to make sense).
- Try to schedule your appointment for when you have your period: They aren’t kidding when they say it goes in easier if you have your period. Menstruating at the gynecologist may seem awkward to you, but it is never ever something your doctor has not seen before. Trust me, they are used to it and any little thing you can do to ease the process is going to help you feel a whole lot better.
- If your doctor prescribes you something, take it. If they don’t, don’t be afraid to ask about it: Before the procedure, my doctor prescribed me Misopristol which helps to soften the cervix, and again helps to ease the whole process.
During the Procedure: Going into the procedure, I was extremely nervous. Although I had done everything I could to prepare before going in, I had no idea what to expect. I asked a couple of friends who said that there was a little pain and a lot of cramping. In retrospect (and after sending a text or two asking why they did not tell me the truth), I have come to believe they may have understated their own experiences a little bit.
The first thing that typically happens when you get to the office is a pregnancy test. My doctor didn’t do this since I had my period. Again, it is typically better to have your period when you go in to get your IUD. This is because the cervix will already be open more and farther down, making the whole procedure generally quicker and less painful.
Once I actually got into the exam room I had to take off my pants and have a STI test. This is usually done prior to getting your IUD since if you do have an STI and get your IUD put in, you’re at an increased risk for Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and then for infertility. I waived the hospitals liability if this were to happen since I had to travel out of state to make this happen, and since I have been in a long-term monogamous relationship for the past three years, and so little chance of having recently contracted and STI.
After that, my doctor felt around to get an idea of the position of my uterus, which involved the insertion of a couple of fingers into the vagina while simultaneously feeling for the uterus on the abdomen. This was a little uncomfortable, but also fairly typically of what you might see at your yearly gyno exam.
Next, the procedure actually gets underway. Some metal holding forceps were put into the vagina and used to hold open the cervix. This felt fairly painful but nothing I couldn’t handle. It mostly felt like there was a lot of pressure pushing around inside of me. The real pain happened when they measured the length of my uterus. I have no idea how they did it, but I literally screamed in pain. Immediately after they inserted the IUD which also hurt, but not as badly as when they measured my uterus. However, it is worth noting that all of this took less than two minutes to do. In my experience, there was a lot of pain but it didn’t last long enough for it to be a real issue.
After the Procedure (Short-Term): I haven’t had my IUD for that long, so I can’t speak to how my body will react to it in the long run. However, I can tell you how the first day went: It was terrible. Immediately after the procedure I was a little dizzy, but not enough where I couldn’t easily get up and walk around. I went to lunch and to the store after.
About an hour and a half after the procedure my cramps seemed to get really bad. I had to head home and spend the rest of the evening on the couch with a heating pad on my abdomen. It felt like there was a lot of pressure and cramps happening in that part of my body. I ended up feeling a little sick to my stomach due to the pain. Even after taking some pain relievers it was still a lot to handle. Fortunately, by the time I went to bed the majority of the pain and cramping had subsided.
In the end, having and IUD was completely worth the pain for me. Since the whole procedure was free, I know have no-cost birth control until 2017. I won’t have to think about, worry about it, or anything else until I am 27. For me, that totally outweighs a day or two of discomfort. I can’t say how the next five years of having an IUD will go, but I’m feeling optimistic!
Have more questions about the IUD? Feel free to ask me or check out Bedsider or Planned Parenthood for more information!
Planned Parenthood is excited to be launching our new Tumblr that’s all about sexual and reproductive health – bodies, birth control, relationship issues, “is it normal for this to do this?” type things. In the coming weeks and months we’ll be sharing what we know, answering questions, and just… tumblring.
We hope you like it! And we hope it helps.
Guys! Look who’s here to join the party!
SO EXCITED
Happy Earth Day, y’all! Hope you took our reminder advice and recycled, planted, composted, used body heat to keep warm…or some combination of those activities;)
If you’ve got some down time after your busy day, this article about birth control and the environment—authored by Kirsten Moore of the Reproductive Health Technologies Project—is, in our humble opinions, well worth the read.
Great fundraiser going on in my hometown of Des Moines, Iowa. RAYGUN is a popular t-shirt store here that features progressive, satirical designs and they are teaming up with Planned Parenthood of the Heartland. They wanted to put their own “spin” on the Rush Limbaugh controversy – all while supporting their favorite women’s health care provider.
All proceeds from the sale will support Planned Parenthood of the Heartland. You can be fashionable and support the work we do!
You can buy a shirt online here - http://raygunsite.com/shop/girls/t-shirts/slut-shirt
The shirt says: Just another slut on birth control. Please pass it on, help PP and get some amazingly awesome shirts out there!Thanks,
Jessica
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I was actually just looking for a shirt with this kind of attitude online last night, but could not find one I liked… this one is perfect. The design looks very cute, simple, powerful, and sleek! I shall be purchasing one. :-) If anyone else has anything like this they’d like me to signal boost, drop me a line and I’ll be more than happy to pass it along as well!
Plan B at the pharmacy - just because it’s legal doesn’t always mean you can get it, according to a recent report. Know your rights. (via myplannedparenthood)
*Although I wouldn’t say teen pregnancy is bad. I would say unintended and unwanted teen pregnancy is.
(via myplannedparenthood)
