One of the greatest faults in our stars, I would say, is that in this great age of scientific development and discovery, birth control is still only applicable to women. “Should I go on the pill, or get a birth control shot, an implant in my arm, vaginal ring, patch, or an IUD?” This is a question that many women ask themselves at some point in their lives. All of them have their pros and cons, but when I asked myself this question, I was most drawn to the IUD. Now, before I launch into my experience, here’s a disclaimer: I am not a doctor; I’m just a college student. All of this information is sourced from questions that I posed to my doctor, and every detail comes from personal experience, so take that as you will.
An IUD is an intrauterine device, about an inch long and wide, that’s inserted into your uterus. There are two different kinds, a hormonal one and a copper one, each with different effects. I personally chose the hormonal IUD, the Mirena in particular.
No matter what you choose, the decision is scary. You don’t know how your body will react–after all, you’re messing with your hormones and putting a chemical/device in your body that isn’t naturally meant to be there. I did extensive research and asked my doctor every question that came to mind before I had them inject a foreign object into my body because regardless of the sheer number of women nationwide who’ve had great experiences with the IUD, I was scared.
I ultimately came to the decision of the IUD because of its low maintenance and high efficiency, not to mention the perk of not getting a period after a couple of months. The procedure itself is the most invasive part (obviously), but after that, you honestly don’t have to worry about it for anywhere from 3-12 years. The IUD sounded magical to me: the pill, another extremely popular birth control option, not only has a significantly greater amount of hormones with more drastic side effects, but you also have to remember to take it at the same time every day. Of course, every medical procedure comes with its risks, as does every medication. The Mirena comes with a slight chance of acne and weight gain, but in the case that you’re unhappy with the results, the process is reversible, so these were risks I was willing to take.
Once my mind was made up, the most difficult part was the insertion. The process only takes about 20-30 minutes, and depending on the person, the level of discomfort and pain varies. Personally, the insertion was a breeze–the most uncomfortable part for me was the fact that someone was poking and prodding and inserting plastic and metal bits up into my most intimate areas. The details are a bit hazy, but my doctor first numbed my cervix, so when the IUD went into my uterus, all I felt was a bit of pressure and no pain. This brief procedure left me feeling pleasantly surprised; twenty minutes and I was out the door! Little did I know, the hard part was yet to come.
When you get an IUD, the process does include some bleeding. This is probably a given, but inserting foreign objects up your vaginal canal and into your uterus leads to–surprise!–a bit of blood. My bleeding wasn’t too heavy, and it went away very quickly–the spotting, however, kept up for a couple of months and was unpredictable. The blood didn’t faze me; the cramping, on the other hand, was a completely different story. I’m a blessed girl: my period cramps only affect me on the first or second day of my period and they’re relatively mild–one or two ibuprofen and I’m fresh as a fiddle. That being said, I wasn’t the slightest bit prepared for the intense cramping that I got after my IUD insertion. For the rest of the day, I was bedridden and nauseous from the pain, popping ibuprofen until it reached the maximum recommended dose. I felt so weak that I could barely walk or eat, and the one thought that kept running through my mind was, “Is this how it feels to give birth?” Looking back, that was a tad bit dramatic (as I tend to be), but for the first day, I was writhing in pain. But after the first week, the most difficult part was over.
That was about three-and-a-half months ago. As time passed, my uterus gave me random, albeit milder, cramps here and there–nothing my cramp-seasoned body couldn’t handle–and the irregular spotting persisted for months. Now, I still get very minimal spotting, but periods are a thing of the past and in terms of pain or discomfort, it’s as if nothing ever happened. In my case, there was no change in my acne or weight and it’s safe to say that I’m happy with my Mirena.
Going on any form of birth control is a personal decision. It gave me peace of mind, one less thing to worry about in this chaotic process we call life. Birth control shouldn’t be a taboo topic; it should be a standard in sex education. It shouldn’t insinuate negativity; there shouldn’t even be any sort of social standard regarding birth control. These are our bodies and it’s our choice to do what we want with them. I share my story to speak about birth control with candor, not to sway opinions. Regardless, if you’re thinking about birth control, do your research, ask questions, and do what will make you happiest.