IUD questions.

[infamousmae.livejournal.com]

I just recently had my first Ob/Gyn appointment and received samples of Seasonique.

I'm about to be married and will be moving out of the country for a good two/three years in October.

My doctor told me about a form of birth control [IUD] that would probably be good for me, with me traveling and being so far from home. After hearing her opinion on this, it made me consider the thought of that form instead of just the pill.

My soon-to-be-hubby and I definitely aren't planning on having kids anytime soon, and I understand that once it's inserted, it's good for five years and not recommended to be removed before then.

Has anyone used this form of birth control? I'm curious to learn more about it from women who have actually been on it and can tell me the ups and downs first hand.

Thanks! :]

Comments

[laughing-dreams.livejournal.com]

i have a paraguard (hormone free copper iud) and that's good for ten years, the mirena the hormonal iud is good for 5, from all the information i have seen there is nothing against having it removed before the time is up, try checking out the community iud_divas tons of info there!
(btw i love my iud!)

[infamousmae.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :]

[laughing-dreams.livejournal.com]

no prob! i am a big proponent of the iud and don't think enough women get info on them, they just get shoved pills or the ring when this is a great option

[infamousmae.livejournal.com]

I had never even heard anything about that form of BC until my doctor told me about it. She did tell me that if I were to research it on the internet, I'd find horrid stories about how they "used to be" made and a lot of women got infections. However, she told me that's all done and over with now, and that I should have no worries if I decide to do it. The worst part is getting in inserted and then, and Voilà! you're good for the next five years.
It really doesn't make much sense that more women wouldn't turn to that instead of having to deal with taking a pill everyday, at the same time, and getting prescriptions filled. Sounds like waaaay too much of a hassle.

[laughing-dreams.livejournal.com]

i spent years on the pill and on depo, i loved depo but my insurance wouldn't give it to me anymore because of the whole 2 year bone loss thing, then reading around vp i started to hear about iud's and decided i wanted one (i can't take estrogen based HBC due to other medication i take) i will not lie the insertion hurt like a mofo but after the insertion and a few hours afterwards no problems! like i said i love my iud!

[gemfyre.livejournal.com]

iud_divas

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

For some quick background reading, you may be interested in this section (http://www.vaginapagina.com/index.php?title=Non-Hormonal_Birth_Control#IUDs) of our Vulvapedia entry on non-hormonal birth control. (Though it actually discusses both hormonal and non-hormonal IUDs.)

As for personal experiences, I had a ParaGard IUD inserted in August 2005; you can read about that here (http://frolicnaked.livejournal.com/91484.html) if you're interested. Compared to others, I'd say that my insertion was at the less-painful end of the spectrum.

I loved my IUD while it lasted; however, I seem to be in the unlucky minority of people who expel their IUDs. I expelled one in March 2006, another in May 2006, and a third in February 2006. (Fortunately, at no time did my expulsions create pregnancy concerns, which may not be true for other people who expel.) It was definitely frustrating to have something that should be so easy to use just not work out for me, but at the same time, I know this isn't the case for everyone. (For stats about risks associated with IUDs, check here (http://community.livejournal.com/iud_divas/287362.html).)

You might want to check into whether your insurance will cover it and if so, how much. (And if not, what other funding options you might have available.) Generally, it's some of the most cost-effective contraception out there, but the upfront cost can be a barrier for some people.

[infamousmae.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow. Thank you. That was very helpful. :]

My fiancé is in the Army, and has [not to sound like a gold digger] really good insurance that could possibly cover the entire cost of birth control, or at least bring the price down quite a bit.

Are you aware if they have options for payment plans? I'd rather [if possible] be able to pay for it all up front, so I wouldn't have to worry about making a payment in the United States, while living in another country. How much am I looking at for one that would last five years?

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

For an IUD that would last 5 years, you're looking at the Mirena. This page (http://www.mirena-us.com/coverage.html?C=&c=) has info on whether your insurance is likely to cover the Mirena and -- if you have to pay the full cost -- payment plan options.

[cbackson.livejournal.com]

An important thing to consider: if you all are moving abroad in October, I would personally recommend having the insertion as soon as you reach a decision. I also expelled my IUD (Paragard, the non-hormonal one), about two months after getting it. My thought would be that it would be preferable to have the insertion enough ahead of time that you'd be around your own doctor for the first few months in case you have a lot of pain or start to expel.

[infamousmae.livejournal.com]

My doctor said that she could get me in to insert it at the beginning of August. My leave date is October 27th. Do you think that would be safe? Or should I just consider waiting until I'm overseas?

[nakedfaery.livejournal.com]

There's a community called iud_divas which I recommend, it can give you a lot of info.

I had terrible experiences with my IUD's, but not every woman does. aechei who is the maintainer of IUD divas has a mirena, has done for years and has no problems with it.

IUD's are the most popular form of birth control worldwide, and the mirena is the most effective (lowest failure rate) contraceptive available according to the W.H.O. If your body can't tolerate hormones, the Paragard is an excellent choice. It's very effective, but can make your menstrual flow heavier and your periods more painful. For most women this stops after 3 months, but for some it doesn't.

[infamousmae.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :]

[heavenkittykat.livejournal.com]

I have an IUD for a year and I have the paragard (non-hormonal) copper IUD that lasts ofr 10 years. I love love love love it...

Majority of the women who tried IUD's actually love them..

Check iud_divas

[infamousmae.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :]

[h0rsegurrrl.livejournal.com]

I got a ParaGard IUD a little over four months ago, and I loooove it. My periods are still pretty irregular from coming off HBC, but compared to the nausea, migraines, and general bitchiness that I had on HBC, I much prefer the minor annoyance of spotting (which doesn't even happen to most people). And you can have the IUD removed at any time, you don't have to keep it for the full 5 or 10 years. It is most cost-effective when you keep it for its full life-span, but you can absolutely have it removed at any time. I am addicted to iud_divas, I spam the community regularly.

[infamousmae.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :]

You icon is hilarious.

[kuni-bob.livejournal.com]

I have a Flexi-T 300, and just passed my one year mark with it. I LOVE IT. Sex when I want, where I want with no worries, and no hormones! Also, I swear that my periods are actually more comfortable now than they were on the Pill...but I reacted very poorly to hormones. My first 6 periods were heavier, though, but now they've evened out and are a piece of cake.

I recommend IUD's to everyone I can think of, haha.

[infamousmae.livejournal.com]

Awesome. It's good to hear that these things actually can work properly and seem to be less stressful.

Thank you. :]