Anonymous asked: Hi Lena! I've really appreciated your discussion of various BC methods on your blog. It's great to be able to get input from real people who have actually used a method when making your decisions. I've been thinking a lot about the IUD lately. I seem to remember you mentioning shortly after you got yours that certain kinds of sex were painful with the IUD. I'm just wondering if this is still the case or if that particular downside only lasts for a while? Thanks!

Hi there! I’ve actually been getting a lot of questions from people about the pain involved in the IUD, both the pain during the insertion procedure (even the TERM “insertion procedure” sound scary, right?) and the pain afterward during sexual intercourse. So I’m just going to cover both topics and hopefully not scare anyone away from getting the IUD.

First off, I did have an uncomfortable insertion, in large part because I didn’t take all the meds offered. (Long story.) Protip: DON’T TRY TO BE BRAVE, LADIES. TAKE THE DAMN MEDS. Also, the insertion will be a LOT easier if you’ve previously been pregnant (even if you haven’t given birth). After you get the IUD, you’ll likely be sore and not be able to have sex for the first week. And once you DO start having sex, take it slow. Ease back into that shit, mmkay?

One of the disadvantages to the IUD is that even after the recovery period, you might not ever be able to have sex the way you used to. As I wrote back in May 2010:

I can no longer have penetrative sex of the Wham, Bam, Thank You Ma’am variety. Deep thrusting is a no-no unless there’s a lot of lubrication involved, because HELLO, I have a shiny metallic neighbor down there and she is not pleased when I go knocking on her door at all hours.

That said, this is not the case for everyone, and if it is for you, you can figure out some possible solutions. I just have to be much more aware of lubrication and angles of penetration. Otherwise, I can actually hurt myself! For example, I was totally not paying attention a couple of weeks ago, and doing some robust orgasmic thrusting that induced immediate and severe cramping. I keeled over mid-sex. Atop my dude. Not my finest moment.

That said, Incidents like this are rare, even for me, someone who seems to have an overly sensitive uterus and poor balance. My experience with occasional pain isn’t uncommon, but there are also plenty of IUD users who don’t have any issues at all and go about their business like it ain’t no thang. Just remember: you can always have it taken out and that process is MUCH less painful than putting the IUD (or anything else) in.

Related posts on the IUD:

Reader Question: “Is rough sex with the IUD totally intolerable?”
No Pain, No Gain: The IUD Insertion Process
Consider An IUD: “I got my Mirena last April and never looked back”
How I Dumped The Pill And Met The IUD
5 Reasons Why Women Should Consider An IUD
Reader Question: “How Do You Like Your IUD So Far?”