I had a colposcopy (I remember now). I am going to see my doctor tomorrow morning, and I plan on asking her about it then. For everyone who does have it, how much did it cost? Did insurance cover any of it? I am in college and have insurance through the school, hopefully it will apply.
My insurance covered everything except for my office visit copay and about $5 for the labwork (you have to have negative cultures for chlamydia and gonnorrhea before insertion), but the total cost was around $800. Even if it’s all out of pocket, it’s still something like $13/month.
If your insurance through the school is like what I used to have as a student, don’t hold your breath for most of it to be covered. Between Student Health and your insurance, the pap and cultures and office visit (assuming you can get it done there–Student Health probably doesn’t put in a lot of IUDs) should be covered, but I dunno about the device and insertion.
I’ve been wondering, concerning the pain of insertion of an IUD… If this is so painful, why don’t they a) numb your cervix before the procedure or b) prescribe some heavier painkillers (Tylenol 3 or whatever)?
Also, exactly how do they do the insertion? How do they get your cervix to dilate enough to fit the IUD in? And once it’s in, wouldn’t it fall out since the cervical opening was just stretched open to fit it in?
My insurance covered mine as well, but if I hadn’t, Planned Parenthood was charging about $400. They have a sliding scale that calculates the price based on how much you earn, so since you’re a student you could probably get yours for less.
I’d like to know more about this too. I’ve had a colposcopy and a cervical LEEP (loop electrosurgical excision procedure), although the leep was 12 years ago. I wonder if this would prevent me from getting an IUD?
It is painful, but only briefly. They do have you take 600-800 mg (IIRC) of ibuprofen an hour before insertion. Then, they tell you to take it as needed for cramps. The IUD is t-shaped (this site has a picture). For insertion, the arms are bent up and it’s loaded into a long tube slightly thicker than a drinking straw. The straw is thin enough that the cervix can accomodate it without inducing dilation. If the woman has already given birth, then the cervix is already a little stretched out and insertion is easier. Once the straw is through the cervix and in the uterus, it’s pushed out of the straw by a plunger and the arms spring out to hold it in place. The cramping that proceeds IUD insertion occasionally succeeds in ejecting the IUD, in which case it has to be reinserted. Two thin wires (or they may be plastic, I can’t remember) hang out of the cervix and into the vagina. The doctor trims them to an inch or so once the IUD is inserted. They’re used to pull the IUD out when it’s time to have it removed.
If you are a student, you might consider checking out Planned Parenthood. I went in and told them my low student income and they gave me a card that basically gives me free BC and doctors visits. I didn’t even have to prove my income. I just guessed.
They told me I might want to take a Tylenol before the procedure. I did. Didn’t help at all. I wish I had asked for heavier painkillers, because after the procedure I felt dizzy and faint and had to lay down for half an hour before I could drive home. They gave me painkillers afterward. So ask about painkiller! And take a lot of Tylenol!
Basically they insert the speculum, and then they insert another speculum which is huge and feels like they can drive a train through there. Then they have the tube thing mentioned before. However, my uterus was tilted and they had to place something else in there to bring it into line. That was the absolute worst. The actual insertion wasn’t anything compared to that.
I didn’t look down the entire time, but it felt like three separate pieces of equipment were shoved into a Very Delicate Area. It hurt!
The IUD springs open inside the uterus and doesn’t fall out. If you have questions about the equipment they use, I can’t help you.
I am on Depo, and haven’t had a period since I started 2 years ago. Until today! I am barely spotting and feel a little crampy. Boo, hiss! My shot is due in 2 weeks though. I have noticed PMS symptoms the two weeks before my shot, but they haven’t been this noticeable.
I’ve gained weight too, but I also quit smoking 1-1/2 years ago, and I don’t know that I can blame the Depo on all of it.
I’m 46, and I noticed a libido change for the better when I started Depo.
But no period!!! No cramps, no craziness, no bitch from hell.
That happened to me, too for the first couple of years-- every once in a while, near shot time, I’d get a little crampy and spot a little. The cramps were the take-a-Motrin type (not like my old rolling-on-the-floor-screaming-wishing-I-was-dead cramps back when I used to have periods.) The spotting lasted maybe two days, and cleared up immediately after the shot.
I haven’t done that in about four years now, so it may be something that goes away with time.
Tylenol? Geesh! :rolleyes: That wouldn’t help me one bit! You’d think that they would prescribe you some vallium or something to help with the pain of the procedure.
I don’t think that “female pain” (cramps and such) is taken seriously enough.
Dragwyr, thanks for this. I’ve been doing as much research as I can on it, but I haven’t seen this site before. I’m really hating hormonal birth control right now, and if they can’t put me on the pills I like and that like my body, I’d rather just deal with painkillers for my TOM and be on nothing.
I have a basal temp thermometer, and plan to start taking my temp shortly.
Thanks!
E.
Thanks for the reassurance!
I am SO glad that this thread is here! My SO and I just had the birth control talk this morning, and since I am going in for my yearly exam on Tuesday, I told him that I would ask my Dr. about options.
The problem is that I just got off of Depo (which I LOVED) because I want to be fully fertile and ready/able to conceive before I’m 30. After i heard that it could take up to two years to fully regain my fertility, I decided that it was time to go off the Depo and let my body breathe a little bit.
My SO and I have a LOT of sex (really…a LOT), and so far, we’ve been using the (admittedly stupid and non-effective) withdrawal method, because I’m allergic to latex. I tried BCP when I was younger, and they made me throw up every day, so I’m not really thinking I want to go there again. All of the long-term BC methods don’t really serve my purpose either, as I’m hoping to get pregnant in the next 2-3 years. I don’t like the thought of sticking anything “in” me whenever I want to have sex, so a diaphram (sp?) is not really an option.
So…what are my options??? I’m feeling like I don’t have any. Any advice ANYONE can give would be helpful.
Well, it sounds like you might want to consider the ring I talked about earlier. It is non-latex so that wouldn’t be a problem. You don’t ingest it, so it probably wouldn’t make you throw up. It is hormonal, so I don’t know how long it takes to wear off, but I imagine it is more like a couple of months then a couple of years.
Until then, might I recommend getting to your nearest drug store and getting some non-latex condoms. They are expensive (around $11.00 for 6) but they will serve until you get something else. In my experience, withdrawel is a great way to get pregnant (which you seem to already know, so I won’t preach you you 
).
OhFace and nyctea scandiaca, I did a little checking, a history of cervical dysplasia or cervical malignancy or cervicitis is a definite contraindication for Mirena.
So OhFace, you might be OK, but nyctea scandiaca, Mirena probably isn’t for you. Having said that, SEE YOUR DOCTOR, because they’re the ones with full access to your medical history, and the ability to examine you first hand.
Citygirl852- if you REALLY don’t want to get pregnant in the immediate future, trying a different formulation of BCP could be the answer. I threw up 3 or 4 times a day, everyday with one particular brand, and wasn’t even nauseous with another. Don’t dismiss all birth control plls until you’ve tried a few, one of them might just click with you.
Alternatively, if getting pregnant right now wouldn’t bother you too much (I’m thinking this might be the case, since you’re depending on withdrawal and after effects of Depo for the moment) then look into Natural Family Planning, as mentioned earlier in this thread.
Doing it properly will mean being very careful NOT TO HAVE SEX on certain days. If that’s going to be an issue, you’ll need to investigate non latex condoms and use them on your unsafe days.
Dolores! You’ve given me hope.
My doctor says I’m too old to stay on Depo. I’m 33. You’re 46. You’re on Depo. I want to be you!
I have horrifying cramping when I’m not on Depo. He keeps insisting that I should have my tubes tied because I don’t want children, but that doesn’t do anything for the life-ruining cramping that I suffered through for 15 years before discovering Depo. I don’t want to go back to that. I get anxiety attacks when I think about going back to that.
Well, good! I wish you could have my doctor. She’s great. She actually listens, and looks you in the eye, and seems to genuinely care.
I haven’t had a period since I had my son (five months old), other than the after-birth bleeding from hell. I had a shot of Depo two days after he was born, and had a tubal ligation February 1.
I spent years on the pill. Years and years. When I moved to the US, my father-in-law (Dr. Dad) prescribed the American counterpart to my Canadian bcp - Ortho Tricyclen. Well, damned if I didn’t lose all libido and gain 30 pounds in 6 months.
No hormonal anything for me anymore. However, the prolactin (stimulates milk production for baby) has screwed up any libido that might have still been floating around after I had the baby. Wheeee.
I have been on the pill for 14 years now. For the last 5 years I’ve been on the lowest dose pill. And I loved it! No cramps, no mood swings, no sore, swollen breasts, and I would bleed for only 4 days. About a year ago I started spotting about a week before my period should start. And my true period would last a week. So basically I was now having a 2 week period. The doctor put me on higher dose pill (Yasmin), but it’s not working except now I get the sore breasts and am moody. So my options appear to be Depo or this Mirena IUD (first I’ve heard of it). I’m here asking the opinion of people on the StraightDope. Because you see my ob-gyn is an ass, but I can’t switch (bad insurance). Another option would be going off the pill and having my husband neutered.
Does anyone have an idea if going au natural would stop the pre-menstration bleeding?
One thing that realy concerns me is weight gain. Since switching to Yasmin I have already gained 7 pounds, and I am already big enough. I’m getting pretty uncomfortable in my skin. What exactly do people mean by weight gain? Is it that your appetite increased so you ate more so you gained weight? Or did your metabolism change so you ate the same but gained weight?
Thanks for your help.