Six years ago, a few months after my younger son was born, I got my first IUD (Mirena). The ob-gyn who inserted it wasn’t my regular one, but happened to be the one who ended up delivering him and coaching me through an unexpected complication that made it too dangerous for me to get an epidural. Anyway, she said I would feel a pinch and then experience cramping for 24-48 hours. Well, that pinch felt like someone had taken a wrench and tightened my uterus causing painful back cramps for two days and spotting for six months.
I wasn’t alone in my experience. Thousands of women across the US have also experienced pain during and after their IUD placement. For decades, their pain has been brushed aside, with women basically being told sh-t like “It’s not that bad,” “Take some ibuprofen,” and “Suck it up.” Those days are hopefully no more. The CDC issued guidelines last week that advised practitioners to properly warn women about how much insertion and removal will hurt. They’re also supposed to give them better options to manage any pain and discomfort afterwards.
Women started documenting their painful IUD insertions: Earlier this year, The Washington Post reported that numerous women were using their smartphones to document their screams, tears and distress during the IUD insertion process. In social media posts, patients who have experienced IUD pain have described the procedure in graphic terms, including as an “explosion of cramps,” a sensation of “pulling, pushing and slicing” or being “cut or ripped open inside.”
Women’s pain is not taken seriously: Many of these patients said they were not warned of the potential for pain or given adequate options to manage it. Local anesthetics, sedation and other options are available for IUD placement, but many clinicians do not readily offer them. Research also shows that physicians and other providers underestimate pain during IUD insertions. In a study of 200 women, most of whom had given birth, the women reported an average maximum pain score of nearly 65 on a scale of 0 to 100. The providers, however, rated the women’s pain at about 35.
One size Advil fits all: Physicians have said that determining the best pain control can be difficult because patient’s preferences and experiences vary, and there are not enough effective options or guidelines on when to use them. Often, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications such as Ibuprofen are the only options recommended to help manage IUD pain, despite the fact that research shows they are largely ineffective. The CDC said health-care providers can use the recommendations, which were updated after a review of available scientific evidence in January 2023, “to support person-centered contraceptive counseling and remove unnecessary medical barriers to accessing and using contraception.”
Let’s try this again: In its previous recommendations in 2016, the CDC outlined medications “to ease IUD insertion,” suggesting the advice was aimed, at least in part, at helping the provider complete the procedure. The updated version uses more patient-centered language. The new guidance states that before placing an IUD, “all patients should be counseled on potential pain during placement as well as the risks, benefits and alternatives of different options for pain management. A person-centered plan for IUD placement and pain management should be made based on patient preference.”
The new guidance for pain control: The advice also broadens pain control options to include topical lidocaine, which may include a numbing gel or spray. The previous guidance mentioned only lidocaine injections given in the cervix called a paracervical block. Some studies show paracervical blocks can help with pain, while others have shown they do not. Although the CDC said lidocaine “might be useful for reducing patient pain,” the agency did not specifically advise clinicians to use it. The new guidance also states that misoprostol, a medication that helps soften the cervix, is not recommended for routine IUD insertions but may be useful in certain circumstances such as in cases in which previous insertions have been unsuccessful.
There’s no magic bullet: Physicians say the new guidance emphasizes that there is no one-sized-fits-all approach to pain control. “Shared decision-making is necessary to arrive at an individualized plan reflecting each patient’s unique context, values and preferences,” Monica Dragoman, system director of the complex family planning division at Mount Sinai Health System, said in an email. Lauren Kus, a complex family planning fellow at Mount Sinai Hospital, added that while the recommendations can “optimize and individualize” pain management plans, “admittedly, none of these interventions are a magic bullet to eliminate IUD insertion pain, so continued research into additional effective strategies is critical.”
Well, it’s about f-cking time this was addressed, especially since more and more women are considering IUDs in a post-Roe world where Republicans’ war on women will surely try to come for birth control. Women are often told to suck it up or deal with levels of pain and discomfort that men are simply not expected to tolerate. While I know that there are thousands of women out there that have had good experiences with their IUD in general, a lot of them also have stories about how painful the insertion was. For all they’re worth when it comes to the effectiveness of reproductive health, no one really prepares us for the side effects that come with insertion or when your body is getting used to it. The comments under the post about this story on WaPo’s Instagram account are full of testimonials.
Oh, and that IUD insertion that caused pain and months of spotting? Well, seven months later, I started having intense, targeted pain in different areas of my stomach. As it turned out, the IUD was placed while my cervix was still too soft, so it slipped through and migrated up into my stomach. (This is what I was told.) A very crazy x-ray showed it near my left rib cage. I had to have laparoscopic surgery to remove it, and it was in a completely different location when they went in, four days later. I still preferred that over the pill, so I ended up getting a new Mirena IUD put in six months later, this time by my longtime gyno. After just a day of crampy pain, I had no issues after that. Women really are expected to treat all experiences as though they affect us all in the exact same way, every time we feel them. Here’s to validating and addressing more of our experiences moving forward.
Photos credit: Alex Green, Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition on Unsplash and via Instagram/Dr. Jen Gunter
“ As it turned out, the IUD was placed while my cervix was still too soft, so it slipped through and migrated up into my stomach.”
Omg, that’s beyond horrible! I’m glad that they got it out and you’re okay, Rosie, and I have to give you a ton of credit for being open to having the procedure again. You’re seriously courageous!
About two decades ago, I discussed this with my GP. She had been through breast cancer, as had several of her relatives and this was her only (best?) option. She was really frank about how painful it was and I am still grateful for her honesty. I felt like she discussed the pros and cons in a way that I could make a fully informed decision about birth control.
I’m really glad that this option is available AND that doctors are finally explaining the (potential) pain and taking it seriously! Women, POC and immigrants all suffer from a bias that infers that our pain is not as bad as we think it is.
Its the reason I refuse to do the IUD. Too many horror stories about the pain. No thanks.
More research is necessary to determine what conditions can create the best outcome. I went to my OBGYN to get my old fashioned, copper IUD inserted in the middle of my period. As the doctor had said was necessary. I didn’t feel a thing during or after. The only change it’s created in my life is a much heavier flow when I have my period. My BFF got hers inserted during her period, and was in so much pain she had it taken out a couple days later. What they still don’t know about women’s bodies is stunning.
I had mine placed in 2022, 10 years after a c-section, due to super heavy cramps/period.
My gyno was great but it was still the worst pain I’ve ever felt. She had a lidocaine spray that didn’t do anything, apologized profusely throughout, and explained that my cervix was very tight. I have an incredibly high pain tolerance and I was struggling. At the end she thanked me for not kicking her in the face. This procedure absolutely needs some kind of sedation and I’ve already told them I’m not gonna remove it I’ll die with it in me at this point! (Not really but I still am worried about what removal is going to be like).
When I initially researched it, it was like “some discomfort may be felt”
Biggest lie ever.
Removal can be easier- I almost didn’t feel anything. Insertion was like yours – I almost fainted.
Insertion was very uncomfortable for me and I also have a high pain tolerance like you @Demona.
My big issue was when I decided to have it removed 5 years later. My longtime OBGYN wasn’t available so I did the removal with one of her partners. I went in for my initial appointment assuming they would take it out right then and there like they did for the insertion but after taking a look they told me they’d schedule me the following week for the removal. I thought it was a bit odd. I went back and they sedated me a bit. While they were down there taking it out something happened where I almost passed out. They said it was a bad reaction to the sedative which is something I’ve never experienced. Not much of an explanation was offered when I asked why the removal was so much more involved than the insertion. My following pap smear turned out irregular for the first time ever. They had to cut a big chunk of my cervix out since it looked precancerous and I will always link my Mirena to this. My regular OBGYN (a woman), wasn’t able to explain any of it in her usual simple matter and basically brushed it under the rug. My next pap smear was normal so no worries there but I still wonder.
I read an article last year about a woman who had the most difficult time finding a doctor to remove her IUD. The excuses ranged from “you’re too young to get it removed” to “we didn’t insert it so we can’t remove it” to utter silence from the medical offices. Very strange!
My (male) OB told me it would be a “little uncomfortable”. I was in tears and almost threw up by the end of it. I held off getting it removed for longer than I should as I was so scared of a similar pain (wasn’t nearly as bad). It makes me furious how women are expected to just accept this pain.
I am so glad people are finally talking about this. I’m on my second IUD (Mirena) and at 42 I’ll probably want one more when this one comes out in five years. (Depending on menopause and all that.) I have fibro and lupus and I live with constant pain. Pain is my B1tch as I commonly say. I too heard the same BS from a FEMALE OBGYN that it wouldn’t hurt, I’d barely feel anything, etc. It was the biggest lie I’d ever heard in my life. Going in, coming out, going in again with the second one, every bit of it was very painful. My sister had the same experience. I can’t believe they’re still out there saying this BS that it isn’t painful and not offering any help at all when it goes badly except to say they’d remove it if you wanted to. I decided it was worth the pain because I haven’t had a period or cramping or anything for over a decade now.
So much of medicine treats us as hysterical and naive when we are, in fact, smart and informed patients. It’s maddening.
Rosie, I am amazed and impressed that you were willing to try again after that horrific experience. Thank you for sharing that and for sharing the new guidelines – I agree that more and more of us will turn to IUDs as our rights are stripped away by people like Vance and Trump.
You aren’t alone, I had a mirena that went for a field trip and had to be laparoscopically removed also – I think this is more common than we think.
yeah, my sister’s Mirena migrated and twisted one of her ovaries, she ended up in the ER.
mine migrated as well so I had to have it removed at the hospital after getting ultrasounds to find it. it sucked.
Wow, finally. What I would also like to see is official and honest warning on mental
health impact. Depressive disorders and low libido are discussed among my friends and in internet forums, yet patient information includes vague info on how there are signals but seem to be unrelated. I was many years on the pill and felt close to depressed. With zero sex drive – what is the point then? It turned out many of my friends felt similar. When I went off the pill I felt alive again! I was in tears every time I thought about the years that I wasted!
They could also – and hear me out – be more willing to give tubal ligations to those of us who want them. I’ve been trying for two years to find a doctor willing to do mine. I’m 51, not going to have kids now – but they just offer an IUD instead. After all the horror stories I’ve heard… no thanks.
I agree with you. I had my tubal ligation done at 38 years old. My husband was in the Army and we were in Germany at that time. I always knew that I didn’t want to have children and took the pill for almost 20 years. When I asked my Tricare physician about it, he told me I was too young, and I could still change my mind and refused to do it. Thankfully as a German I also had access to German healthcare. I went and talked to my mother’s gyno, and he had no problem with my decision. I had my tubal done and in the process a couple cysts removed he found during my exam. I never regretted my decision. It was very freeing and peace of mind not having to have a foreign body in my uterus and not having to take the pill anymore.
I live in Germany now and will do the same after my second baby. Talked to my doctor – no issues. I am originally from Poland and it was impossible. Doctors knew so much better about my personal, financial situation, mental and physical capacity for more children, not to mention the fact that I am an adult, able to vote and drive but apparently not capable to make a decision how many kids I wish to have. I cannot believe that to this day we have to ask permission to decide about contraception, being pregnant or not and it still used to control half of the population.
I didn’t have a painful insertion, just cramping afterwards that felt like a bad period. but it made me really struggle emotionally – I became extremely suicidal and emotional, and lost all sex drive. had to get it removed for that.
I will never forget how my mirena managed to grow into my uterus.
My OP gyn told me he would prefere to remove it under sedation in a hospital but I was stupid enough (and broke enough) do decide he could remove it the normal way by pulling it out. I simple passed out from the pain and had two days of heavy bleeding.
But at least he told be that it would be painful and what my options are.
Oh, that’s interesting – I’ve found insertion (2x) to be fine, but when I had to have the first one removed it was intensely painful; it felt like it was being ripped out. I wondered if it had somehow grown into the lining of my uterus, but no one was able to give me a definitive answer. I love having an IUD, but I’m nervous about the next removal.
I’m on my 5th IUD and have been using them since I was a teenager. Despite having a mercifully high pain tolerance, I have always found the insertion insufferable. I was so thankful I could get my last one inserted while in the OR after my c section. Pain notwithstanding, this is my birth control of choice and I will keep using IUDs for as long as I can.
I am a weird anomaly. After my last kid, I no longer feel pain down there. Had an IUD placed and removed. Nothing. Cervical biopsies. Nothing. Lucky me. 😳
The reason women aren’t given pain control for gynaecology procedures don’t in office is because the “father of gynaecology” Marion Sims experimented with operations and incisions on enslaved Black women without pain control. It’s beyond time for a major change in medical practices, we deserve far better.
I had one placed in Jan 2023, and it was horrific. I was told to take a massive dose of ibuprofen and that I’d feel a pinch or strong cramp- which was underselling it, to say the least. My gyno couldn’t place the first, she had to open a second, and it took much longer than normal. I was trying so hard not to move and not cry, I broke out in flop sweat. When she finally removed all the instruments and it was done, I started sobbing. My sister is waffling on getting one because she’s worried about the pain… and she’s had three kids. It’s past time medicine caught up with the fact that women are people too.
If your sister is okay with hormonal birth control, Nexplanon might be an option. They numb the insertion site (arm), and it’s placed pretty quickly. It’s effective for up to 5 years (I’ve also read 3 years).
My OBGYN recommended it, after she told me that some women experience quite a bit of pain. Also, if it doesn’t work out, the removal is simple.
I had a Mirena placed last year for heavy constant perimenopausal bleeding. The doc prescribed misoprostol to soften the cervix, and advised to take Tylenol and Advil an hour beforehand. It hurt, but for me it wasn’t agonizing. It took under a minute, which I kept telling myself when it was that painful.
I would totally do it again. Wish I had gotten it years ago. After a few months of spotting, periods became extremely scant and infrequent (like one in eight months). Could be menopause, could be the IUD, but either way, I’m so glad I did it.
I had the misoprostol prescribed as well, and it really helped with the insertion of my most recent IUD. I can’t believe they’re saying it doesn’t help and is not recommended!
Thank you so much for this post
I had one in 2005 and the lingering pain around my hips was the worst. I was just told it would subside. My OB finally checked it’s placement after 2 years and found it had migrated and was partially out already so he removed it. He wanted place a new one that same day but I declined. I got pregnant 2 months later and had a tubes tied after!
The medical field has to change the way women’s pain is mocked, minimized and not taken seriously by providers. I was told to take massive doses of ibuprofen instead of having period pain taken seriously for decades. I was eventually properly diagnosed with multiple issues (ovarian cysts, endometriosis, huge fibroids AND ovarian torsion). I was never taken seriously until my fibroid laden uterus became so large it began obstructing my ability to urinate properly, causing massive edema in my legs. By the point I finally got proper care, my gi was damaged by the ibuprofen and I had to have a hysterectomy. I don’t know many women my age (or much younger) who don’t have similar stories. I know a 22 year old woman that ended up with an unplanned pregnancy because she passed out during an iud insertion and was so upset by the painful experience she refused to go back. The misogyny of the medical field has to change because it damages women’s health short term and long term.
I had a Mirena for 9 weeks in 2005, and my husband and I still joke that IUDs work because they make you so miserable you never want anyone to touch you ever again. I don’t remember the insertion itself, but I do remember that had severe cramping and spotting for every day of the 9 weeks I had it. I was taking 4 ibuprofen every six hours and was still in pain. Removal was painful, but such a relief after the horror of having it in. And I paid $500 for the experience!
I switched to another type of birth control, which failed, and now I have three kids! My husband got a vasectomy after that!
Thank you for posting this, Rosie, and sharing your nightmarish experiences. Hopefully you’re doing a lot better now, mental anguish included.
I “luckily” never got to experience IUD pain, as shortly after having my twins I had a 12 pound stage II tumor removed that had grown to that size in six weeks, plus 4 gallons of fluids. When one of the lymph nodes they took as a precaution was found to be cancerous too, they took out everything I could do without, a week after the first surgery — ovaries, uterus, appendix, peritoneum, greater omentum. Three cycles of adjuvant (preventative) chemo followed, and I’m still around, twenty years later.
Also thanks to Dr Jen Gunter for existing and making women’s lives better, one tweet/Insta reel at a time.
Let’s take a moment to appreciate the fact that the situation has gotten to this point – that the government has to step in to direct doctors to treat their female patients humanely and with basic consideration.
YES! This.
I’m on my 3rd Mirena and I love LOVE not getting my period, but it was so painful getting it placed. For the most recent one my PCP gave my oxycodone because my gyn wouldn’t do anything but ibuprofen and it made such a difference. It’s so infuriating that they won’t give us at the least a strong pain med for what is an excruciating procedure.
Absolutely. I love having my Mirena instead of having periods! And, like you, I found the insertion pain very unpleasant, but brief and therefore bearable and worth it. (I’ve had a child by c-section, so my cervix has never been fully dilated, but I imagine folks who’ve never been pregnant might experience more pain.)
If doctors were trained to believe women (and Black people of all genders) when we say we’re in pain, they would understand this is a painful procedure, and not expect women to raw-dog it.
I loved the ease of having an IUD and not having to worry about pills (or the high blood pressure I was having with them), but I’ll never forget the literally knee-buckling pain of the cramps for the first few days after insertion. I remember walking through my living room and getting hit with such a huge wave of pain that I had to grab onto the arm of my couch to keep from falling down. My periods also went from 3 light days per month to 7-9 extremely heavy days (I had Paragard), and that lasted for the 10 year duration of the IUD. I had it out a couple years ago and things went straight back to normal.
Wow, I never even thought of it like that. I know it’s a cliche, but there’s also that thing (which has been my experience too), where a woman gets sick with a cold and gets the kids off to school, cleans the house, makes dinner, whatever, and a man gets sick and takes to his sick bed an expects to be waited on. We all deserve restful, pain-free lives.
Oops, this posted in the wrong spot. I’m not sure where the comment I was responding to went.
The insertion was one of the most painful experiences I’ve ever had, and no one warned me about that or the ongoing cramping that went on for years. BUT. The REAL reason I’m SO MAD about this is that the doctors literally said “No one else has ever complained that this hurt.”
Really? No one else? Gaslight much?
I had a Modena placed. It was uncomfortable but I got through it. What sucked was that it somehow affected my tubes, both of which twisted on themselves and had to be removed. I went in to have them remove the iud and to exploratory surgery and came out of it infertile. I mean, I was fine having kids anyway but it wasn’t what I was expecting.
I love my IUD but….the insertion pain was easily the worst pain of my life , compared to my other painful experiences of birthing 2 babies and breaking my knee cap in half. The most pain came from the pincers holding the cervix in place. I screamed many, many curse words and my dr said “don’t worry, I’ve heard worse”. I had an ultrasound assist bc I had so much scar tissue from my deliveries. Considering the placement horror stories, the assist should be required for all of them!
I’ve recommended the. To friends and everyone I’ve recommended it to has had a terrible experience during and after, so I stopped recommend them ha! Hopefully this guidance is the start of more positive (or fewer negative) experiences.
“Don’t worry, I’ve heard worse” omg I would be livid. I vividly remember my doctor saying “cramp cramp cramp cramp cramp” to me while I experienced white knuckle pain during insertion. Lady, that doesn’t cut it!!!
I havent had an IUD but I had a colposcopy in Oct 22 and it was awful. The (male) doctor tried to cancel my appointment when I’d already been waiting for over an hour and while the pain wasn’t like childbirth, I was sweating and my whole body was shaking and it felt so uncomfortable down there I ended up having to leave work.
Well, I had to have another one this year, yay. This time I had a female doctor who was so kind and listened to my ranting about my last experience and while there were a couple of snips of pain, the experience was just a world of difference. And she personally called me with my results within a week! It took over a month for a nurse to call me back with my results last time.
I’ve never had an IUD placed but I have had two endometrial biopsies which is a similar procedure, and I thought I was going to die, it hurt so bad. The first was with a male dr who told me “I was overreacting” and if I was “bleeding as much as I said I was it shouldn’t hurt that bad because my uterus was open.” (This was my regular dr’s partner when she wasn’t available.) The 2nd was with my regular female dr. She was very apologetic and said it hurts, I’m not going to lie. to you. There is no way they would do that as an “office procedure” if this was a dude thing.
I also had a uterine biopsy, and that’s exactly what I was thinking about while reading this post and through the comments. I actually love my gyn (because she was the first medical professional in six years to actually listen to me and take steps to figure out what was going on with my body). However. Suggesting I take some ibuprofen was NOT sufficient warning. During the procedure, I was in so much pain, I got lightheaded and my vision started to dim. Afterward, I was shocky and almost fell off the table when I sat up. But they let me stagger out of there. I sat in my car shaking with tremors until I could drive (because they didn’t suggest I have someone drive me). Like others have said, comparatively, I have a pretty high pain threshold. Subsequent to the biopsy, I had a hysterectomy, and I took some ibuprofen over the 24 hours following surgery, then I didn’t need any painkillers. The deep seated misogyny in the medical profession is mind boggling.
There’s absolutely NO reason to do ANY of these procedures in the office. They should all be done outpatient under anesthesia. They could use what they do for a colonoscopy. Men are offered to be put under for a vasectomy, why on EARTH would they not do the same for women for IUD, biopsy, etc. It’s barbaric.
I imagine it is as painful as having uterine biopsies.. hurt so bad I lost consciousness. I refuse to get them without anesthesia or painkillers of some sort any more.
I’ve had a uterine biopsy – and I am a “bad” gyn patient as it is due to some childhood PTSD unpleasantness. Fortunately, my (female) doctor offered laughing gas for the procedure which kept the pain and anxiety to a manageable level. At one point during the procedure, I was sucking on the gas pipe so hard that I did not respond to a question she asked me – she told me to take the pipe out and I shook my head “no” very emphatically!
I was successful with chanting, breathing, and meditation during my insertion and the pain was bearable. I’d never done anything like that for pain but it actually worked. The staff were very supportive but were just as shocked as I was that it actually helped.
My first gyno who inserted my first IUD was a sadist bi*ch. Never told me about the pain that would come. And I thought I was being stabbed with a knife in my hoo-ha. I even went back to work after the appointment doubled over in cramp pain.
My 2nd gyno who is an angel. Fully informed about the potential pain. And said she would usually do them when the woman was on their period to lessen the pain. But since I no longer had one with the IUD. I will have to grin and bear it. But at least I went in knowing what would happen and could take the day off to recover. And she made it as gentle as possible. Maybe it was her or maybe since it was the 2nd IUD insertion. But the 2nd one was a lot easier than the first one for sure.
Not having my period for the last 15 years with an IUD and then sailed into menopause was the best thing ever. It was worth the 40 seconds of pain getting it in there. Removing it was a lot easier though.
I’ve had three IUDs, each qualifying as the most painful (and messy) healthcare thing I’ve ever experienced… and I’ll do it again when I’m due for a new one.
For me, it’s worth it for no periods or pregnancy for the years that follow, but if they could make the insertion experience less traumatic, that sure would be nice.
After hearing too many horror stories from friends about IUD insertions I declined one when it was recommended for heavy bleeding. Instead I opted for a uterine ablation that took place in the hospital (not the doctor’s office) where I was also able to have anesthesia during the procedure. A female doctor friend who had similar issues gave me the suggestion and it’s been the best thing I ever did. I no longer have a period and was untraumatized by the ablation, which was no more expensive than the IUD would have been in my situation fortunately. Highly recommend! 10/10!
Ive had two open heart surgeries and i would put my 30 seconds of IUD pain above the open heart surgery recoveries. That was some of the most intense pain i have ever felt.
They say it hurts your uterus less if you’ve already had a baby, so less cramping but they still have to stab your cervix to stabilize it enough to get it through.
I got an IUD in 2016 as well as a few months ago, both because of the threat of losing my reproductive rights.
Both insertions were extremely painful. I had no idea what to expect the first time. The doctor told me it could be uncomfortable and then the nurse handed me a hot pack and a stress ball and then I started to realize what was in store for me!! I’ve had C-sections so I would imagine that the pain was similar to childbirth. It was nearly unbearable. It was only during the placement (which took several minutes but felt like a lifetime!!) that I felt pain. Then I cramped the rest of the day and bleed for about a week. After that I didn’t feel it at all.
Removal was painful, although not as much, and was quick.
For me the benefit outweighs the pain. But being described as possibly uncomfortable is a lie. It hurts like hell and I cried both times.
Dear Rosie, I am so sorry for your pain and very real discomfort. I don’t mean to put a ‘but’ in front of your story, as it stands in its own merit. I just want to say that I did only experience the ‘pinch,’ nothing to report in the ensuing couple of years except for no pregnancies.
I am a little worried that someone may read a story of difficulty and opt not to use an IUD, perhaps using something less reliable.
My two cents. Best thoughts to all of us women people.
t
Hey, @guilty pleasures! That’s awesome that you only experienced the pinch! My sister has had two good experiences with her IUD insertions as well. I noted that my second experience was much different than my first and I hope that anyone who is reading what happened to me will also read other women’s experiences so they can make a fully informed decision about their health. I do like having it and will get another one when the time comes to change this one. Not having to worry about taking a pill at the same time every day or getting a period is a great benefit to this form of birth control!
Getting IUDs (I have had three) has gotten much worse as I’ve gotten older. The last time I got one, I spotted for six months and had awful cramps for three. I toughed it out because I felt like it was a sunk cost at that point (not even in the financial sense), but 1-2 days of cramps? No way. I decided right then that when it’s time was up, I was done. My husband got a vasectomy, which he said was also much more painful than people led him to believe, but he recovered from that more quickly than I recovered from my IUD, and I was supposed to get a new one every five years.
They’re great forms of birth control, and lots of people don’t have complications (my first was problem free, except for the provider leaving the string too long during the first visit) but I’ve had the awful side of it, too.
Before God, Bad Janet, your husband’s experience is the first time I’ve ever heard that the man’s experience with his vasectomy was any kind of painful. If this was a relatively recent experience it makes me wonder if they are not offering the same level of pain care that they used to.
It’s possible. A few male friends of mine and my brother have done them in the past few years as we age out of the desire to have more kids, and none of them felt like it was a walk in the park. Doctors tend to downplay pain in general, and often don’t believe patients (I was part of a healthcare team for ten years so I’m going off professional and personal experience). But some groups definitely get their pain managed less than others , and that’s been shown multiple times over through research: women, BIPOC (especially black folks), and women BIPOC.
Republicans don’t want people to receive sex education, so a lot of women don’t know the pros and cons (or even availabilty) of their options. And the Republicans hate women anyway, and probably think pain is their deserved punishment, like forced childbirth.
When can we get doctors and medical personnel to stop using the term “discomfort”? Discomfort is when you are sweating on a hot day. The correct term for most medical procedures that should be used is “pain”!!!!
You all know that they use that wishy-washy “discomfort” because they do not want you to really know how much something with hurt.
Ditto for “little pinch:!!!
I volunteered to be a test patient for PP while living in a city and they were bringing in practitioners from rural areas to become more skilled at insertion. They repeatedly asked if I wanted to stop because I was in so much pain. I insisted on proceeding. When I had it replaced a few years later, I went into shock from the excruciating pain and was charged extra for the additional monitoring they did. I finally got drugs for the third IUD and holy hell, what a relief that was.
I don’t discourage anyone from getting an IUD but if they ask, I am candid about my experiences. Rosie, thank you for covering this story. I’m so glad you are in good health after your traumatic experience.
I had Mirena IUD because I used to have extremely heavy cycles, and I had it taken out in less than a year because it was painful, like it felt like I was hemorrhaging.
Rosie, thank you so much for writing this. My daughter had such pain during hers, too, but the biggest indignity was her female boss at the GAP in Oklahoma City who had no sympathy whatsoever for her pain, knowing that my daughter came straight from the doctors office and couldn’t take off work. She, too, was fooled by the claim that she would only feel discomfort. It still makes me angry.