Pros and Cons of Going on the Hormonal IUD
If you read one of my previous posts, you will know that for a good portion of 2017, I went off of the pill. However, also in 2017, I went on the IUD. Although I loved my decision to go off the pill, I ultimately felt the need to go on the IUD to have the assurance that I will not get pregnant before I am ready.
Now that I've had the IUD for about 3 months, I will walk through my experience of what I think are the pros and cons of getting the IUD.
These are what I believe are the cons of getting the IUD.
1. Getting it inserted is extremely painful and uncomfortable.
Now, I don't know what labor contractions feel like, but I'm sure this is way worse. I've never felt any pain nearly close to getting the IUD inserted. Basically, when you get it inserted, it feels like an extreme cramp like none you've ever felt before while also taking your breath away. I know this isn't very convincing to get the IUD, but even though there is a ton of pain involved, the whole process is probably a total of 3 minutes and then it's done. So, in my option, the pain is worth it.
2. The symptoms afterward are unpleasant and inconvenient.
So after you get the IUD inserted, your body basically starts the process of shedding the lining of your uterus until the point when, if an embryo tried to implate itself into your uterus, it would be inhabitable--thus making sure you do not get pregnant. This is the process that makes sure your IUD is effective. However, the process of shedding the lining is the same process of having your period so you get period symptoms. Therefore, in my experience, I had a solid month and a half of bleeding that eventually turned into spotting. On top of that, I had pretty consistent cramping nonstop for about a month.
3. You're still getting small doses of hormones.
When I first looked into the IUD, I wanted to get the non-hormonal copper one because my whole reason for going off the pill in the first place was to stop having synthetic hormones in my body. However, after talking with my doctor, she said she rarely inserts the copper IUD because the side-effects are much worse than the hormonal one. So, she suggested I go on the Kyleena IUD which is the smallest IUD with the lowest amount of hormones in it. So, I am still getting hormonal birth control. However, it is only releasing a very very small amount of hormones every day and much less than the pill.
These are what I believe are the pros of the IUD.
1. The IUD is completely low maintenance.
When I was on the pill, I had to remember to take it around the same time every day and if I didn't it stopped being as effective. On top of that, I had to remember to go get my next pack on time at the end of each month. With the IUD, you don't have to do anything besides check to make sure the strings are still at the entrance of your cervix once a month. THAT'S IT. It's so simple.
2. You don't have to worry about replacing it for a long time.
With the Kyleena IUD, you can have it in your uterus for up to 5 years. It can also be taken out at any time. Other IUD's can be inside your uterus for much longer than that even.
3. It doesn't mess with your fertility.
Unlike the pill, the IUD doesn't have any effect on your fertility. You can literally get it taken out and get pregnant right away if that's what you're going for.
4. It's so effective.
The IUD is over 99% effective, and you don't have to worry about user error. When I was on the pill, if I didn't take it at the same time every day, it became less effective. With the IUD, you never have to worry about taking anything--it's 99% effective at all times.
Overall, my experience with the IUD has been very positive, and I have recommended it to a lot of my friends. It is a super simple birth control method that has 0 user error or really any form of maintenance. I really do love my IUD!
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