Ode to IUD

It’s been six months that we’ve been together, and I never knew how cared for and carefree I could be until you entered my life. It was difficult and even uncomfortable at first. I was nervous, palms sweaty, knees weak, arms heavy, but I knew that it was right—or at least, that I would never find out if it was right unless I gave it a shot. Now, I’m so glad that I took a chance on life, love, and an IUD.

Ok, I know that was a bizarre and borderline advertisement-sounding start to my Lettitor, but bear with me. I’ve only actually been on two forms of birth control in my life: the Pill and the intrauterine device, or IUD. When I first started taking the Pill, and my doctor suggested I might like something more convenient (and more implanted), I remember quickly shaking my head and saying that I’d prefer the conscientious nature of the Pill, feeling like I was on top of things and in control of my birth control.

It worked out for a while, but I started to resent the hassle of taking a daily dose, and the slight tinge of embarrassment if I was in front of people when my “Take your pill, ya dummy!” alarm went off. There were also the effects it had on my body; the fact that I stupidly didn’t know there was a chance of getting pregnant while taking the pack’s sugar pills (menstruating) until I mentioned it to my mother and she sat me down in front of a box of Plan B; and, the biggest inconvenience, the fact that I’d have to go to the doctor’s every few months to get another prescription.

Eventually, after roughly a year of being on the Pill, I decided that it was not the preventative measure for me.

I want to stress that, while I was unhappy with the Pill, there are plenty of people who are perfectly happy with it. I’m terrified of a pregnancy, so I remember checking, double-checking, triple-checking that I had taken my Pill, every day. I remember sobbing when I was three days late, because I was worried that I should have been more careful. It was largely the Pill’s system that just didn’t work for me, but while I’ve been happy with an IUD, it also might not be right for everyone. The idea of this article is to encourage you to find the method that works best for you. After intensive research into my options—and into the procedure itself—I decided that I wanted an IUD, I wanted it for five years, and I wanted it ASAP.

The rumours you’ve heard are true: getting an IUD is a tremendously uncomfortable experience. Bad cramps sustain for hours after the procedure is over. My doctor tried to make the process easier, and she succeeded somewhat, but there’s only so much you can do with a procedure involving a speculum.

Nonetheless, I couldn’t be happier with having taken the plunge and gotten an IUD. I’ve saved countless dollars compared with the Pill—the IUD was actually 100 per cent free on my medical plan; I also don’t have to worry about my birth control on a daily basis, or every three months when it would be time to get a new prescription.

The bottom line is, if you choose to become sexually active—and there’s no shame in opting not to—you’ve gotta find the right contraception for you and your body. Sometimes that will mean trial and error, a lot of research, or talking with your doctor. At the end of the day, it’s your body and your business, so be the CEO of dat sheeit.

Hello gorgeous,

Natalie Serafini