The Best Birth Control - Why more young women should start using IUDs
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By Kate Klonick - Slate
July 29, 2009
“They seem like the perfect form of contraception: simple to use, long-lasting, reversible, hormone-free, economical. So why are American women so late to this party? Perhaps the better question is: Why did they leave the party to begin with?
That was my question when, after eight years and more than a dozen different incarnations of oral contraceptives, I decided to go back to the drawing board. I had never been good at taking the pill every day, and while my doctor suggested the patch and the ring, both were still under patent, making them more expensive than my monthly grocery bill. I needed something cheap, un-mess-up-able, and, ideally, hormone-free. So I did what any modern girl would do: I Googled. And thus began my research into the IUD and its mercurial history in the U.S. market.”
”It took me four months, three doctors, and a $40 co-pay to get my IUD, and it was worth every minute, visit, and nickel. Despite how thrilled I am with my new birth control, I still have a hard time convincing women how great it is. Daniela has the same problem and thinks that many women in the United States are dissuaded from the IUD because of the high upfront cost and the invasiveness of the procedure. Though the insertion hurt and her periods were heavier and more crampy for a few months afterward, she describes it as a “very small price to pay for the peace of mind, money, and time” she saves with the IUD.”
