My Experience Getting an IUD

Written by Gigi Frankowski

We interviewed 3 different teens who have IUDs, here are their thoughts:

Interview 1: Teen who advocated for herself and her method of birth control 

Why did you choose this method of birth control?

• I chose this birth control because I wanted to feel very secure long term, while being sexually active. I had friends who were on birth control and had bad hormonal side effects and I didn’t want to deal with that. I also didn’t want to deal with taking a pill everyday especially when in college my schedule wouldn’t be as consistent. 

What do you think about this method of birth control after having it?

• I got my IUD about a month ago and I really like it. The procedure was not painful for me because my doctor gave me lots of medication. I really recommend those considering getting an IUD to advocate for themselves and ask for medication if they’re feeling discomfort or pain.. I feel really safe and in control of my body and I’m really grateful to have such a strong method of birth control that I don't have to worry about.

What symptoms, if any, did you experience after using this birth control? 

• So far I’ve been spotting with occasional cramping, but it's nothing worse than my periods in the past (which weren’t bad at all). 

Have you tried a different method before, if so why did you change methods?

• Yes, previously I was on the O-pill and used condoms. While I liked this method I wanted more freedom to not have to worry about taking a pill everyday, and I wanted something where I wouldn’t have to go to the pharmacy every couple months to pick up my prescription or be super on top of remembering to take my pill every day. 

Would you recommend other teenagers to use this form?

• Yes 100%. I've heard about so many teens who struggle with the pill or just don’t use protection. This can lead to so many issues for people my age and I think an IUD is a great long term solution. 

Do you think birth control is talked about enough with/ between teens?

• I think that it's talked about a good bit between teens but isn’t something that's taught in a classroom, all they told us at school was abstinence, this causes so many teens to be misinformed and not use protection at all. 

Interview 2: Teen who wanted a long term stable solution 

Why did you choose this method of birth control? 

• I chose this method of birth control because I didn’t want the side effects of gaining weight and mood swings.I also can’t really remember to take pills so it was easier because there’s no upkeep to IUDs and they last for years.

What do you think about this method of birth control after taking it/ having it consistently?

• I love having my IUD, it was super painful for me to get it because I didn’t take any meds but it was definitely worth it for 8 years of protection.

What symptoms, if any, did you experience after using this birth control? 

• The day that I got my IUD I had a bunch of cramping and was super dizzy from the pain, but after that it was pretty smooth. I've had it for over 3 months now and I still get cramps every now and then and I've been spotting for over three months but it's not too bad.

Have you tried a different method before, if so why did you change methods?

• I tried the pill just while I waited for my IUD appointment because it was a couple months out and I just could not remember to take it.

Would you recommend other teenagers to use this form?

• Yes I recommend an IUD to people all the time, some of my friends have already gotten one because of how much I recommend it. 

Do you think birth control is talked about enough with/ between teens?

• No, I think birth control needs to be talked about much more because for some people it’s an embarrassing topic, but really it’s so normal and I think it should be more normalized for teens to be able to ask their parents for birth control.

Interview 3: Teen who struggled with Heavy Periods 

Why did you choose this method of birth control? 

• I wanted birth control that would fully stop my period and I was having painful issues with my period. I would often have to skip school because my cramps were so bad and the pill wasn’t working for me. 

What do you think about this method of birth control after taking it/ having it consistently?

• So far I really like it and have not had any issues with it. I think it does a great job. 

What symptoms, if any, did you experience after using this birth control? 

• I experienced a little bit of cramping at first and a little spotting during the first few months.

Have you tried a different method before, if so why did you change methods?

• Yes I tried the pill before. I switched because it did not help regulate my period and its pain like I had hoped.

Would you recommend other teenagers to use this form?

• Yes I would. I think it's a great long term protection for many teens out there and it's not as scary as people think it is. 

Do you think birth control is talked about enough with/ between teens?

• No it is not. I think there should be more available information for teens and I think it would be great if it was talked about more in schools.