Well I thought you might want to see an ultrasound image of an IUD.  I have always wondered why women seem to go on the pill rather than use an IUD. There seem to be all sorts of myths out there about them. Aren’t they made of copper? It’s not great to mess with your inners. They aren’t safe.  I might get pregnant….. But now that I have an intrauterine device inside me I can honestly give you my low down on this extremely handy contraption.

Interestingly, the IUD is the most widely used form of contraceptive on the planet. It appears two-thirds of the Chinese female population are in favor of IUDs in place of sterilization and perhaps that will give you an idea of how safe it really is. The standard IUDs on the market in the U.S. today have either a 5 or 10 year “shelf” life with the 5 year ones having the additional benefit of stopping menstrual bleeding entirely due to localized hormone release in the uterus. Personally, I am using an IUD called Paraguard which lasts for ten years. My gynecologist gave me a little card reminding me that in ten years I will need to get a new one. Naturally, I have already lost the card.

So what does it feel like…. well I have to say, my story is a bit of a bloody mess. When I went to get fitted, I still didn’t have my period. I had finished breastfeeding after a year but my period had not come back. This happened to me following my previous pregnancy until I decided to go back on the pill and that seemed to kickstart my monthly cycle. This time round, the gynecologist inserted the IUD, it’s like a slightly more painful pap smear, and then she told me to expect some spotting and that I should take Tylenol to make sure I didn’t have too many cramps. The main goal is to make sure the uterus does not reject the IUD which can happen if the cramps get severe.

Off I went home with my internal gadget and I did feel a few cramps and a little bit of spotting but by the next day the light bleeding had turned into a heavy flow and I wasn’t sure if a) my uterus was in rejection mode b) my period had started. Because I had the IUD up me and because I wasn’t really in the mindset of having a period I didn’t really have any tampax and was using large pads. The doctor told me to come back and get an ultrasound to check and see the status of the IUD. This is where it gets embaressing…..

 There I am, like a bleeding dog, lying on a cold hard bed, with a camera up my vagina and a friendly local technician talking to me about his kids. I was starting to feel uncomfortable with my new T-shaped friend and wasn’t sure I was going to like it. Anyway, the doctor confirmed everything was OK and I limped home and bought myself some super plus Tampax. The heavy blood flow, the river of redness, became the main feature of my monthly periods for the next few months. Changing mega Tampax in the middle of the night. It was just unstoppable and the first month in the middle of the cycle when I was ovulating I was doubled over in pain. I went back to the doctor to see if this was how things were going to remain.

 She told me some of her patients went through what I was going through. I also seemed to have this heavy weird yellow discharge (rather like the white of an uncooked egg) which she also said was normal and something to do with secretions from my ovaries.  Well here I am now at least 7 months after the fact, and I can tell you things are extremely normal down there these days. My periods are light, no pain and no weird jelly discharge. The only thing that is a little strange is that if you do stick a finger inside yourself you can feel a little cord (rather like a piece of fishing tackle string) that hangs out. The doc said, “let me know if your partner can feel it, I can trim it” but so far, no complaints.

As for why do women go for the pill rather than IUD…. well I think it is partly to do with age. One thing is for sure… they are not made of copper “clockwork orange” coils any more. And they are tiny. Still, I can see how a 15 year old girl would not necessarily want to go through my experience. It was a little scarey and yes, it is invasive. I think a post-pregnant woman is far more equipped to handle the experience than a girl who is using Tampax minis. They are also more expensive (they cost several hundred dollars although my insurance covered me for it) but compared to years of being on the pill they work out to be quite cost effective. On the whole, IUDs are a very safe form of contraception and highly effective, and definitely if you are post-pregnancy and don’t want to think about kids for a while or ever, then it is a great option.

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November 4th, 2008 | Permalink