IUD's

[Tylin]

Hello,

 

I'm currently on the pill and am really ready for a change. My side effects are only minimal, but I'm tired of the daily routine-- especially since I'm so busy with work and school. I've been looking through contraceptive choices and the IUD appeals to me since I know I don't want kids in the next five years. I also found out that my insurance covers the Mirena hormonal IUD.

 

I hadn't heard anything bad about IUD's until I asked my husband, who had heard horror stories somewhere about women having scarring on their uterus from where the device scraped (then they had pain, couldn't get preganant later on, etc).

 

Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone had any experience with this contraceptive, good or bad? Thanks in advance.

[princess81]

Well I believe there are two different ones on is for 5 years and one is for 10 I have the 10 year one and I have had it for 2 years now and it is working when you first go to doc's office and they insert which is a little uncortable for a few seconds you will feel some cramping after wards and sometimes some spotting. They say that with the five year one theres less cramping during your period but it all varies and I believe in order to get you have already have kids and they like to only recomend patients how are married or are in a long term monogamus relationship because there are string that will hang out and deseases can travel up causing you pid and other problems now as far as the horror stories go your husband is right they werent really recomending iud's for a while because they had a lot of problems with them but the ones that are out now really have the same if not less side iffects as other methods of birth control

I'm not an expert or a doctor this just some stuff I know so you really need to talk your doc and do a little research on your own. Hope I was of some help

[RayKay]

To be fair, IUD's got a pretty bad rap many years ago, no different then the bad rap the pill got, which have both been fixed really. It is funny, because in Europe the IUD is much more popular, but here people still remember the "bad rap" it had.

 

Now for the hormonal IUD (Mirena), I believe it is actually plastic, and it works just like the pill does by releasing hormones. Side effects are like you get with the pill. The copper IUD's work by changing the uterine wall lining and environment to prevent implantation of an egg. Side effects include heavier periods, risk of ectopic pregnancy.

 

For both, the reason they got a bad rap was mainly as if you contract an STI, the risk of serious infection is dramatically increased due to the fact there is easier access to the uterus through the cervix up through the string. This is what your hubby may be referring too. So they tend to only give them to women in monogamous relationships after both are tested clean for STI's.

 

Some doctors may only give them if you have already had kids too, as it stays put better (if you have not had kids your body may expel the device).

 

Fertility returns quite soon after it is removed...for the hormonal one it may take three months to regulate again (just like with pill) but the regular one there is an almost immediate return.

 

I would suggest you sit down and talk with your OB/GYN about the risks. I am planning on doing it as well actually, but the regular one, as due to my very high risk of breast cancer, I am less fond of taking the pill anymore, and also want to have my "normal" sex drive back as well! And so have done a bit of research. There are pros and cons, just like with the pill, but I think that the unfair bad rap it got, was due to old technology and a lack of understanding on how it worked (STI's). As I said, it's quite popular in some parts of the world, and the women I know whom have had them love them as they are easy and you don't have to worry about it really.

[Tylin]

Thank you guys for the input! STI's have never been an issue, so hopefully I'm a good candidate. I'll ask my ob-gyn at my next visit.