IUDs, orintrauterine devices, are changing the birth-control game.
Hormonal IUDs deliver levonorgestrel, a synthetic version of the hormone progestogen.
That’s especially true for one aspect: how the insertion actually feels.
By Jocelyn Runice
The insertion felt like a longer, pinchier Pap smearI have to imaginechildbirthis much worse.
Abigail B.
I got Mirena in March 2014.
I went to Planned Parenthood, and it didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would!
Illustration by Valerie Fischel
I’d rate the pain a six out of 10 and Pap smears at a four.
It was mostly very uncomfortable, like your cervix is being poked and pinched…because it is.
I haven’t had a period at all since around May 2014, which is fantastic."
Illustration by Valerie Fischel, Icon designed by Freepik
Gabrielle L.
I got my IUD inserted three years ago and removed three months ago.
My doctor gave me light general anesthesia for the removalzero pain!
“A few years ago, I had to have an abortion.
Illustration by Valerie Fischel
I went to Planned Parenthood, and I received excellent care.
Within five minutes I was no longer pregnant and was protected from having to go through that again.
Also, the whole thing was free.
A couple of months after I had it put in, I had it removed.
Now Im back on the Pill and much better at taking it.”
I had never felt anything like that before, but it was over before I even processed it.
I no longer have regular menstruationI started spotting, then nothing at all.
An IUD makes me feel like I control the course of my life."
Jerlyn T.
“I got my Mirena in October 2015.
There were about 10 seconds of sharp, intense, almost nausea-inducing pain.
Five minutes later, I hopped off the table and went on my way.
“I had ParaGard for six months, and now I’ve had Mirena for seven years.
The first insertion was uncomfortable, like a cramp.
I couldn’t go home for three hours.
I had constant bleeding and intense cramping, and I couldn’t walk up stairs without triggering terrible cramps.
After six months, I had to have it taken out.
Rachel D.
“In September 2012, I got ParaGard.
The actual insertion was maybe an eight out of 10, but it was so fleeting.
The long-term peace of mind far outweighs the few seconds of discomfort.”
Ashley P.
“In 2012, I got my ParaGard.
We had three children aged two, four, and nine months.
Before the insertion, I took three Ibuprofen and did deep breathing exercises in the waiting room.
My hands were sweaty, and I couldnt relax my pelvis even though my doctor kept asking me to.
I asked for a towel to hold on to so I could pull it at both ends.
My eyes were watering, and I shouted when my doctor clamped down onto my uterus.
Six months after I got the IUD, my period was late.
I took a pregnancy test, and yes, I was that one percent chance.
I got pregnant on my IUD.
My husband calls the IUD the IUdon’t.”
Kelley K.
“I got my Mirena in November of 2014.
I took two Tylenol on my way into the doctor’s office.
But emotionally, I was actually pretty happy and excited!
Julia G.
“I got my ParaGard IUD over three years ago.
Fast forward three years, when I was ready tostart a familyand have the IUD removed.
The nurse practitioner painfully prodded my insides for over 15 minutes but couldn’t find the strings.
For almost 20 minutes, he was shoving tool after tool inside of me trying to locate the IUD.
He finally found it scarred into the walls of my uterus.
I’mnow six months pregnant and have healed, but I would think twice before recommending IUDs to anyone.”
Erica K.
“About a year ago, I gotSkyla.
I also liked that it would help relieve pain from my menstrual cramps.
Before my IUD, I needed narcotics to be a functional person during my period.
Yanique D.
“I got Mirena in September, 2015.
At its worst, the pain is about a nine and a half.
Despite how painful it was, I absolutely love my IUD.
Now, becoming pregnant is a conscious decision I get to make.
Also, most of my PCOS symptoms have gone away!
“My first Mirena IUD, inserted in June 2015, expelled itself after about a month.
I got a second one, and the cramping subsided in a week.
In both cases, I used a heating pad when I was home which helped a lot.
Jessika P.
“I had a Mirena inserted four years ago.
It was an eight out of 10 in terms of pain, and afterwards I was shaking and nauseated.
I was by myself, and I had wished that my thenlong-distance boyfriendwas with me.
The first time we ‘tested it out,’ my boyfriend could feel the wires!
I had a follow-up appointment where they trimmed them more, which only made it worse.
My doctor basically said if she cut them more, I wouldn’t be able to get it out.
“In June 2015, I gotSkyla.
That was the worst part.
I basically thought my uterus was falling out.
I hyped the actual insertion up in my head, but it wasn’t that bad.
I had three months of terrible periods, but now they only last for a day.
Cassie L.
“I got my Mirena in July 2015.
I took some Ibuprofen beforehand, which worked really well.
I started counting from one to 10 over again, and it was over before I knew it.
Really, the most painful thing is the clamp they put on your cervix, not the actual insertion.
It only took me about an hour to be completely fine.
I even went to work afterward!”
Emily S.
How much do guys really know about birth control?
