Getting an IUD involves a clinic visit. To prevent infection, clinics require women to have check-ups prior to insertion. This can include a full medical, pelvic, and breast exam, with a Pap smear, STI check, and pregnancy test. If anything unusual is found, it is addressed before the IUD is inserted. After insertion, an IUD is effective immediately. An IUD is usually inserted during a menstrual period when the cervix is slightly open and pregnancy is least likely. It may be inserted at any time, however. The procedure for insertion takes about 5-15 minutes. Most women feel cramping during and after insertion. Ibuprofen can help relieve cramping. You can keep track of your IUD by checking its strings. You can feel for the string by putting a finger into your vagina. Some women prefer to look at the string using a speculum, mirror, and flashlight. It is recommended that women check their IUD after each period. A shorter than normal string can be a warning sign of an imbedded IUD.

Missing strings may mean that the IUD was expelled. If the string is missing, call the clinic and use a backup method of birth control. If you miss a period while on an IUD, you may want to take a pregnancy test. If you have any concerns about your IUD, call the clinic. The longer the IUD remains in place, the less likely it is that the uterus will reject the IUD and expel it. An IUD can be removed at any time and the procedure is quicker and easier than insertion. If it is removed near ovulation, a woman may become pregnant from recent intercourse before IUD removal. There are two types of IUDs available: ParaGard and Mirena. The ParaGard has a tiny copper wire wrapped around the plastic body and should not be used by anyone who is allergic to copper. The Mirena releases small amounts of a synthetic progesterone hormone. This was added to attempt to decrease the excessive bleeding and cramping that some women have with the IUD. Every woman is different and IUDs are not recommended for all women.

Due to the risk of serious health problems, women with the following conditions should not use IUDs: IUDs are not recommended for women who are at risk for PID, a history of severe menstrual cramping and heavy flow, a history of ectopic pregnancy, or previous problems with an IUD. Copper IUDs are not recommended for women with Wilson’s disease or allergies to copper. Getting any vaginal infection while using an IUD can increase the risk of developing a serious pelvic infection. This can result in a loss of fertility. For this reason, women need to assess their own risk for infection. If you have multiple partners or if your partner has multiple partners, your chance of infection is much higher. Piercing or perforation of the uterine wall may occur during insertion of the IUD. Over time, an IUD may become imbedded in the uterine wall. An Imbedded IUD is still effective, but it can be painful and may need to be removed. There is a risk of surgery and/or sterility if an IUD becomes imbedded.

If a woman becomes pregnant while using an IUD, it is highly recommended that she have the IUD removed, whether or not she wants to carry the pregnancy to term. 120 Bamboo BlindsAn IUD increases the risk of having a miscarriage or premature birth. Elmo T Shirt 12 MonthsA woman who becomes pregnant while using an IUD is also more likely to have an ectopic pregnancy. Indoor Fairy Lights Plug InAn ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg attaches and grows outside the uterus. This can be very dangerous and requires emergency medical attention. Both the ParaGard and the Mirena IUDs can cause longer, heavier, and more painful menstrual periods, but this is much less common with the Mirena. The increased blood flow may cause anemia. Spotting may occur without serious cause or as a sign of infection.

The Mirena IUD can cause ovarian cysts. Some women using the Mirena stop bleeding altogether. Usually their menstrual periods return when the IUD is removed. Mirena can cause weight gain, headaches, increased blood pressure, acne, depression, and decrease in sex drive. Women who want to become pregnant may have their IUD removed at any time. While most women who stop using IUDs are able to become pregnant, IUDs can have negative effects on a woman’s fertility. If perforation, embedding, or pelvic infection occurs, the uterus or tubes may become damaged and lower the chance of pregnancy. In cases of severe damage or infection of the uterus, a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) may be required, resulting in permanent sterility. The synthetic hormone in the Mirena IUD can cause a delay in return of menstruation and fertility after it is removed. You can prevent pregnancy after unprotected intercourse by having a copper IUD inserted. Within one week of unprotected intercourse, copper IUDs can be used as Emergency Contraception.

The cervix is the opening to the uterus where menstrual blood, babies, and sperm pass. It is the opening through which abortions are performed. IUDs are inserted through the cervix into the uterus. Barrier methods of birth control, including the diaphragm, female condom, and cervical cap, work by covering the cervix and preventing sperm from entering the uterus. Hormonal methods of birth control, including oral contraceptives, the Mirena IUD and Depo Provera affect the mucus around the cervix and make the opening more resistant to sperm. Women’s bodies also naturally produce hormones that change the cervix during a menstrual cycle. You can learn more about your cervix using a speculum to perform a self exam. Are you considering updating your birth control method? If you have even once thought about the intrauterine device (IUD) but don’t have all the facts, look no further! We're here to help you with honest feedback about our experiences with IUDs. Two BUSTies have IUDs and we have a Pharmacist Tech on staff to answer common questions about the IUD.

(You can read Shelby's review of Mirena here.) There are a few misconceptions surrounding the IUD. I want to clear those up right now because I refuse to let them keep getting in the way!IUDs don’t increase your risk of pelvic infections or sexually transmitted infections, as long as you practice safe sex while using them. Get tested and make sure you throw a rubber on it. If you are in a monogamous relationship you could consider skipping the Magnum action, but you have to have a conversation about trust, getting tested, and the possibility for some hard conversations later, yadda, yadda, yadda. You are smart gals and fellas.  Get tested, talk to each other, and make sure that you keep up on your exams. I have had my ParaGard for four years now. That’s longer than my longest relationship. When most people find out that I have an IUD, the reaction usually ranges from total disbelief (“But you're too young! You haven’t already had a baby!”), to fear (“Aren’t those crazy dangerous?”), to total cluelessness (“What's an IUD?!”). 

I grew up just outside of Colorado Springs, where sex health and choice were never discussed. I received my sex education while volunteering at the Women’s Resource Center at CU Boulder (go Buffs!). While there, among like-minded women who answered all of my birth control questions, I made up my mind to get an IUD. Now we're getting to the good stuff! Hormonal birth control totally fucked me up. We’re talking crazy mood swings, breakouts, weight fluctuation, and boob soreness and growth. I had been trying out different prescriptions for birth control since the age of seventeen. I tried Yasmin, Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo and a few generics. None of them really fit. It was great not being pregnant, but the side effects were not working for me.The first big question to consider is: hormones or no hormones? My answer was pretty clear, but yours might not be. To begin with, I wasn’t too crampy and I didn’t have a very heavy flow. These are important things to consider since the copper IUD effects them.

More on that later. If you are the neurotic type, like me, and want the monthly reassurance that you are not pregnant, use the copper IUD. I have friends who have totally eliminated their periods with the hormonal IUD and they love it. That just isn’t my bag, baby. The copper IUD is also long term, remaining effective through the ten-year mark. If you are the set-it-and–forget-it type, this one is for you. My periods are more reliable than they have ever been. I can predict them, down to the hour. Having an IUD is zero responsibility and upkeep. You don’t have to set an alarm on your phone to take care of it every day. You just check for the thread every once in a while or whenever you think about it. I've been with the same fella for over three years, cohabitating and getting hitched, and have never once experienced a pregnancy scare. If that isn’t an amazing endorsement, I don’t know what is! So would I make the same decision, knowing what I know now? You won’t feel it during sex.

He won’t feel it. Not even during deep crazy booty. I have never had a fella mention feeling it. I want you to know what you are getting into and what you are getting put into you! So, have you ever given your cervix any real thought? Because you will once you get this little fucker put in. It was a short in-office procedure, but damn it got my attention. I don’t want you to get mad at me later when you get one of these and then say that I left out the crazy cervix intensity. It only lasts a few seconds, but I did tear up and have to call my mom afterwards (thanks for taking that phone call, Mom. It couldn’t have been easy!) The ParaGard can also increase the intensity of your cramps and the amount of your flow. My cramps weren’t too bad to begin with and I knew that this was a real side effect, so I went with it anyway. I have to carry around some extra strength Midol, rock a heating pad, and generally disappear for the first day of my cycle. But after that all I have to deal with is some intense flow.

Now I use a Diva Cup (or Moon Cup whatevs) and if you're a regular reader of BUST, you know what I’m talking about. The little soft cups hold about a shot glass worth of your heavenly flow and don’t have to be replaced as often as traditional tampons. Since I made the switch, my increased flow hasn’t given me any trouble. If you haven’t tried them, get on it! These IUDs are not more expensive than traditional birth control. Without insurance, I was spending upwards of $70 a month for the pill. My IUD ran just under $600 for the whole she-bang. That included the device and the insertion. I crunched those numbers and I made the right financial choice. Consider the cost over ten years and see if the numbers work for you too. Some insurance plans have even started to cover the cost of IUDs, just like the pill! Well we have gotten this far, dear reader. I am going to leave you with these final thoughts. In order to make the choice to get an IUD, especially the ParaGard, you have to be aware of your body and your needs.