Anonymous asked: I know that you had an IUD inserted a couple months ago, and I'm thinking of getting one myself. How do you like it so far? I know every woman is different but is there anything you don't like about it? Or do you possibly have any other recommendations? I was reading about the Ortho Evra patch and seems some forms of birth control can do horrible things to our bodies.
I’m so glad this question was asked, because it’s been a good six months since I’ve reflected on the “baby-fighting friend in [my] uterus”. I got my IUD in October and quickly began evangelizing, even going so far as to turn friends into converts. Conclusion thus far: I LOVE it! And there are so, so many reasons why, but these are the ones off the top of my head:
- Never having to remember to take a pill and never freaking out if I take a pill and then puke and am down one pill because I got too drunk and WHOOPS now I’m preggers
- Never having to pay for birth control. My IUD insertion process and the device itself was fully covered by insurance (as it often the case), so this was FREE NINETY NINE versus a $10/month generic pill pack
- Just like the Showtime Rotisserie Oven, you can SET IT AND FORGET IT for five to ten years
- If you get the Mirena, which is the hormonal IUD (as opposed to the non-hormonal copper), menstrual pain and flow actually decrease. I don’t bleed very much during my period anymore.
- Even the hormonal IUD is still far, far less hormonal than birth control pills, the Ortho Evra patch, or the Depo-Provera shot. The birth control pill killed my sex drive. My vagina was like the Sahara, no joke. The IUD fixed me and helped me start thinking sexy thoughts again.
Are there downsides? Sure! But they vary from person to person, so these are just my own. (Readers, if you have more to add, be sure to chime in in the comments.)
- Spotting happens throughout the month for me. Sometimes, your period gets eliminated altogether, but there can also be breakthrough bleeding, and that gets annoying.
- 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.
- Sometimes, my partner can feel the string, which weirds him out. But he lives with it, ‘cause kids would be WAY weirder.
- The insertion process was so, so painful. Do not be like me and go in without undergoing anesthesia and ingesting copious amount of painkillers.
If you are considering an IUD, I have a treasure trove of old posts and articles for you to skim:
No Pain, No Gain: The IUD Insertion Process (Sex Really)
Consider An IUD: “I got my Mirena last April and never looked back” (The Chicktionary)
How I Dumped The Pill And Met The IUD (Sex Really)
5 Reasons Why Women Should Consider An IUD (Yahoo! Shine)
If you’ve had experience with the IUD yourself — positive or negative — please do share in the comments!
More burning questions? Ask them here.
