nervous about getting an IUD

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-05-2003
nervous about getting an IUD
14
Sat, 04-24-2004 - 12:25am
I have lurked on this board for quite a while in my search for the "perfect" bc method. I currently use the bcp, I was on Ortho-cyclen for about year, but I switched to Alesse two months ago because of weight gain and decreased (read: zero) sex drive. Unfortunately, Alesse hasn't seemed to help either of these problems. DH and I want to have kids in about 5 years, and I think that if it works ideally, the Mirena IUD would be best for me. However, I have some problems and questions. First, I'm scared to death that I'll be one of the horror stories of a punctured uterus, an expelled IUD, or a painful miscarriage. Mostly, I'm afraid that this will affect my future fertility. DH and I very much want children, just not right now. I'm planning on quitting the bcp after this cycle b/c my lack of sex drive is really taking it's toll on our marriage. If Mirena left me infertil in 5 yrs, I would rather take my chances getting pg now than being sad later. What are the statistics about the IUD and infertility, and are there any other users out there who worry about this? Finally, I had terrible cramps before the bcp and I'm worried that if I get an IUD, they'll be worse than before. I know the stats on this, but is there anyone out there who had bad cramps before and they got better after? Should I keep experimenting with other bcp's/the ring/fam or nfp before getting a Mirena? Thanks for your help.

~M.C.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2003
Sun, 04-25-2004 - 8:25am
Actually, the copper IUD is very effective at preventing conception, as it has a strong spermicidal effect. I have an article from the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology that provides recent evidence on how the different types of IUDs work. This evidence includes the recovery rate of eggs, sperm, and fertilized eggs from the Fallopian tubes, as well as measurement of levels of early pregnancy factor, an idicator of fertilization. It states that "the majority of pregnancy prevention occurs before fertilization" and that "prefertilization effects are more prominent for the copper IUD". Both IUDs do have some postfertilization effects that come into play if fertilization occurs, but this is not the main method of action. The authors estimate that 0.19 - 1.04 postfertilization losses per woman per year are attributable to the copper IUD, and 0.19 - 1.82 are attributable to the Mirena type IUD. These numbers include fertilized eggs that would have died anyway due to the high natural miscarriage rate. If you do not include these, the high limits are reduced to 0.38 for the copper IUD and 0.67 the Mirena. For comparison, a method like NFP, which has a typical failure rate of 20%, results in 0.2 postfertilization losser per woman per year. No method of birth control results in 0.85. These numbers are based on a natural miscarriage rate of 50% before the first missed period. When it comes to the whole morality of IUDs debate (which I did struggle with before getting my IUDs), it is a very personal decision. If a woman decides to forgo IUD use because she is opposed to the small risk of destroying a fertilized egg, that is her choice, but she should be fully informed about the current evidence about how IUDs work before she makes this decision. I think it is a shame that so many women still believe, or are mislead to believe, that IUDs work mainly by preventing implantation. In my case, I had tried many other types of contraception, none of which I found tolerable. The IUD offered me great protection from pregnancy, eliminated the need to think about birth control every day, and greatly enhanced my sex life and relationship with my husband.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2003
Sun, 04-25-2004 - 5:02pm
Nora don't know if you will get this or not but I also had a lot of problems w/sex drive/orgasms wnile on mirena. It would take 40 minutes of direct stimulation from a vibrator in order to have one tiny orgasm where as typically it would only take me 5 minutes. This basically affected my relationshiop (sexual) with my husband. Sex had absolutely no feeling or enjoyment. I coudln't handle it any longer. I think Mirena needs to be told about this bizarre side effect. I thought I was the only one. Take care!
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-05-2003
Sun, 04-25-2004 - 5:15pm
Thank you all for your replies. I didn't actually mean to start a controversy over fertilization and implantation. I think that each person has to decide for herself the level of risk she will tolerate and when she believes life begins, but that is beside the point. I was also wondering how to find a Dr. with experience inserting and IUD, if I should decide to get one. The Nurse Practitioner at my school's health clinic said that no other student had ever asked about one and she thought I would have a hard time finding a Dr. who would insert on (b/c I have no kids). I would definately want a dr. who has experience b/c that seems to be the key to having a less painful insertion. Thanks.

M.C.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2004
Sun, 04-25-2004 - 11:14pm
Hi there! I've had my Mirena for 6 months. It was crampy to have inserted...but not any worse than a bad period really. My strings curled up inside but the dr. isn't concerned and neither am I. Bottom line....make sure you have an experienced dr. I think that is the key. And also..if you gain weight, have no sex drive, grow horns, turn purple or anyother weird side affect...lol...have it removed.

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