I <3 my IUD
Posted by Summer
February 20, 2014
This is a message to all you lovely period-having people out there – stop asking if I have a tampon you could borrow. I have no tampons, I’ve never tried a Diva Cup, and I can’t commiserate with you about the awfulness of the whole menstruation thing. It might be nice to bond about this with you all and it might be nice to sync up cycles with my best friends but truth is I haven’t had a period since September of 2012.
Don’t freak out — there’s nothing medically wrong with me! If I want to reproduce in the future I totally can! But for now, I am the proud owner of a Mirena IUD and have happily avoided my period since its insertion. I haven’t met a lot of 21 years olds who have IUDs and I didn’t know anyone my age who had one when I got it at 19, so I’d like to take a second to talk about this incredible form of birth control that changed my life for the better. I’m basically an IUD cheerleader now guys.
IUDs (Intrauterine Devices) are small t-shaped devices that go directly into the uterus and help prevent pregnancy. Some IUDs (like mine) disseminate small amounts of hormones locally while others contain copper, but both work very effectively to prevent sperm from getting to the egg – they’re 99%+ effective!
Why do I love it so much? I love my hormonal IUD because I get a smaller dose of hormones than on the pill or the NuvaRing, and I like the idea of reducing the amount of hormones artificially introduced into my body. I like that I never have to think about birth control to prevent pregnancy and that I won’t for two and a half more years, since mine is effective for five years after insertion.
I tried the pill and I tried the NuvaRing but both presented logistical and practical challenges for me in my everyday life. Now, I don’t have to remember to take a dose on time or worry about my contraceptive falling out. And as a bonus – I don’t get a period anymore!
There’s a stigma in the United States against IUDs, especially for younger people, because it’s rumored that they can be dangerous or difficult to insert in people who haven’t given birth. And while of course the IUD won’t work for everyone, I think its important that I let you all know that I’m a young twenty-something who <3s her form of contraception and can’t imagine ever switching.
(If you want to learn more about IUD options, check out Planned Parenthood’s information page!)
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