Contraceptive Conundrums
I was futzing around on Digg today and there was an article about how the pill is outdated and not all that effective because women were forgetting to take the pills as prescribed. Now, I think this is a mostly stupid argument because human error doesn't make the pill ineffective per se, but it is an issue that needs to be addressed. Many women are looking for a better option because remembering to take a tiny pill at the same time every day can be a pain in the ass. I'm forgetful. I suck at that kind of thing. This article spawned a shitload of uninformed comments about how the alternatives to the pill are all bad/don't work/some other random reason for not using them. Unfortunately, the pill/patch/ring are pretty much the universally prescribed forms of birth control in this country, and most women don't know anybody that uses anything else, so they're a bit freaked out to try something completely different. Well, I do use something different, so if my research and experience makes someone else's life a bit easier, awesome. I don't think enough people talk candidly about this type of thing, and I hope that my doing so will help someone out or make them aware of an option they didn't know they had.
About 2 weeks ago, I got an IUD.
The IUD got a bad rep in this country because of an IUD in the 70's called the Dalkon Shield. The Dalkon Shield used a string that had this nasty tendency to wick fluid (and any bacteria or viruses contained in said fluid) from the vagina into the uterus, causing serious, sometimes fatal infections. This IUD is obviously no longer on the market. Today there are 2 types available. The Paraguard, or copper IUD, which lasts for 10 years, or the Mirena, or hormonal IUD, which lasts 5 years. The Paraguard can be used as a form of emergency contraception, then left in place for continuing protection. However, Paraguard is often associated with heavier, more painful periods. That doesn't sound like a lot of fun to me, so I opted for the Mirena. 20% of Mirena users stop having periods all together, and somewhere around 90% (I can't remember the exact number) had significantly lighter periods. Yay!
Typically, the IUD is recommended for women who have already had children. The cervix isn't as tight, making insertion easier and less uncomfortable. Also, the risk of rejection is significantly less. My doctor also suggested the Implanon as a viable alternative for me, and it's what I'll be getting if my body happens to reject the IUD. It's a matchstick sized implant that is put into your arm and protects you from pregnancy for 3 years. The cost of the Mirena and Implanon was the same, around $600, so I opted for the Mirena for the 2 extra years of protection. My insurance covers the entire cost except for my copay, so that works out wonderfully, since they didn't cover the cost of monthly contraceptives. Even so, $600 for 5 years comes out to $10/month, which isn't bad at all. And, I think that they have payment plans.
Most of what you've already read is pretty readily available at most medical websites. What I had a hard time finding was personal experiences and opinions. So, here's how I see it.
Pros: It's long lasting, and damn near as effective as tubal ligation. It virtually eliminates the possibility of human error. Once it's in you don't have to worry about it for 5 years, just check the string once a month. The prospect of possibly not having periods anymore is freaking awesome.
Cons: Insertion, if you've never had a child, hurts like a bitch. Maybe it was just me, maybe it was because I was nervous or whatever, but it fucking hurt. Brought tears to my eyes, and once it was over, I had the worst cramps of my entire life for the next 8 hours. Curled up in the fetal position with a heating pad for the rest of the night cramps. Sudden, intense worsening of the cramps at times, and a dull ache for the next couple days. However, I think that most people don't have it quite that bad, and I'm sure that my intense nerves didn't help at all. Also, it has a string that's kind of like fishing line, and every once in a while you'll move wrong and it'll poke you. it's an extremely strange feeling, and it made me jump and twitch awkwardly one night at dinner, but it's only happened a couple times, and only in the first couple days, so I think it's figured itself out. However, my doctor warned me that this little poking occurrence can happen to your partner too, so thats something to be aware of.
For me, the convenience and reliability made it worth it. If the cons seem a bit daunting to you, look into the implanon. The only reason I didn't go that route was because I wanted the extra 2 years of protection.
About 2 weeks ago, I got an IUD.
The IUD got a bad rep in this country because of an IUD in the 70's called the Dalkon Shield. The Dalkon Shield used a string that had this nasty tendency to wick fluid (and any bacteria or viruses contained in said fluid) from the vagina into the uterus, causing serious, sometimes fatal infections. This IUD is obviously no longer on the market. Today there are 2 types available. The Paraguard, or copper IUD, which lasts for 10 years, or the Mirena, or hormonal IUD, which lasts 5 years. The Paraguard can be used as a form of emergency contraception, then left in place for continuing protection. However, Paraguard is often associated with heavier, more painful periods. That doesn't sound like a lot of fun to me, so I opted for the Mirena. 20% of Mirena users stop having periods all together, and somewhere around 90% (I can't remember the exact number) had significantly lighter periods. Yay!
Typically, the IUD is recommended for women who have already had children. The cervix isn't as tight, making insertion easier and less uncomfortable. Also, the risk of rejection is significantly less. My doctor also suggested the Implanon as a viable alternative for me, and it's what I'll be getting if my body happens to reject the IUD. It's a matchstick sized implant that is put into your arm and protects you from pregnancy for 3 years. The cost of the Mirena and Implanon was the same, around $600, so I opted for the Mirena for the 2 extra years of protection. My insurance covers the entire cost except for my copay, so that works out wonderfully, since they didn't cover the cost of monthly contraceptives. Even so, $600 for 5 years comes out to $10/month, which isn't bad at all. And, I think that they have payment plans.
Most of what you've already read is pretty readily available at most medical websites. What I had a hard time finding was personal experiences and opinions. So, here's how I see it.
Pros: It's long lasting, and damn near as effective as tubal ligation. It virtually eliminates the possibility of human error. Once it's in you don't have to worry about it for 5 years, just check the string once a month. The prospect of possibly not having periods anymore is freaking awesome.
Cons: Insertion, if you've never had a child, hurts like a bitch. Maybe it was just me, maybe it was because I was nervous or whatever, but it fucking hurt. Brought tears to my eyes, and once it was over, I had the worst cramps of my entire life for the next 8 hours. Curled up in the fetal position with a heating pad for the rest of the night cramps. Sudden, intense worsening of the cramps at times, and a dull ache for the next couple days. However, I think that most people don't have it quite that bad, and I'm sure that my intense nerves didn't help at all. Also, it has a string that's kind of like fishing line, and every once in a while you'll move wrong and it'll poke you. it's an extremely strange feeling, and it made me jump and twitch awkwardly one night at dinner, but it's only happened a couple times, and only in the first couple days, so I think it's figured itself out. However, my doctor warned me that this little poking occurrence can happen to your partner too, so thats something to be aware of.
For me, the convenience and reliability made it worth it. If the cons seem a bit daunting to you, look into the implanon. The only reason I didn't go that route was because I wanted the extra 2 years of protection.