You're probably already aware that, with an effectiveness rate of over 99 percent, intrauterine devices are rock stars of the birth control world. But you might still be a little wary of having a device implanted in your uterus.
That's exactly why Alison Turkos, an abortion counselor in New York City, decided to go public with her IUD insertion appointment.
"It was important to me to share my story no matter what it was like," she says. "I wanted to be open about how it went." Turkos says that she hadn't been on hormonal birth control for about six years and was ready to start back up again with a method that didn't require much maintenance. She says she talked with her family and friends about their IUD insertions, and the stories she heard ranged from quick and easy to completely miserable. Those accounts inspired Turkos to share her own implantation session using the hashtag #TurkosIUD. "I wanted to show that everyone's body is different," she says.
Turkos says that the doctor who inserted her device was totally on board with her tweeting during the procedure.
Feet in stirrups, it's happening. #turkosIUD
— Alison Turkos (@alisonturkos) January 6, 2015
Luckily, Turkos's insertion went much smoother than she thought it would. "I'm not someone who handles pain very well," she says. "And from the stories I heard, I had high expectations that it wouldn't be a good experience." She says the whole process only took about two minutes.
.@fullfrontalfem I'm gonna be real with you, the insertion of the speculum was the worst part for me, not the actual insertion #TurkosIUD
— Alison Turkos (@alisonturkos) January 6, 2015
The response via Twitter was also pretty positive, says Turkos. She says the only feedback that might be seen as negative came from women who didn't have a great IUD experience. But those stories just amplified her point that everyone's body is different. "It's important for the women with painful experiences to share their story, too," she says.
After the whole thing was over, Turkos shared the aftereffects:
Trying to decide what to wear to work. Last night jeans felt too tight on my abdomen so I went with leggings. May need to repeat #TurkosIUD
— Alison Turkos (@alisonturkos) January 7, 2015
Ultimately, Turkos hopes that the tweets that she and others shared will prevent women who are considering an IUD from being discouraged by the insertion process.
More from Women's Health:
9 Things You Need to Know About IUDs
Everything You Need to Know About The New IUD
11 Ways to Keep Your Vagina Happy and Healthy
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