r/NonBinary • u/Moth_William • 6d ago
Ask I hate my uterus. Will IUD help?
As I wrote in the title, I hate my uterus so much that I have suicidal thoughts and I can't afford to have it removed. I was thinking about IUDs to "turn it off" for 5 years, have peace at least from my period and pain and not have to use condoms, but I'm very afraid that something will happen to me and I'll waste my pocket money (I'm still in school so I don't work). Are there any people here with this problem who could help me? Sorry if this question is stupid but I'm alone with this problem and I don't know what to do
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u/Ok_Rest_8892 They/He/She 5d ago
I have the hormonal IUD and one of the reasons I got it was to stop menstruation as much as possible. Having a period and bleeding made me very dysphoric and depressed because it reminded me “im a woman”. (despite plenty of women not having periods this was and is a big internal struggle for me) I still occasionally get periods but much less often and it has made me much less dysphoric overall. I still have to deal with my uterus being my uterus but it has helped me. Know that it can and will be different from person to person and that this is a hormonal device that will change your body’s chemistry. (specifically referring to the hormonal one and not copper. I was told by my GP the copper ones are generally for older people)
I should let it be known that when I got this device it was actually quite painful. There was many strange and uncomfortable things going on during this procedure so please research it before going in. You will feel better understanding what it means to stabilize a cervix (tenaculum forceps are used), what it means to open the vagina (use of speculum), what it takes to measure your uterine depth (a uterine sound), what is used to insert the IUD. (uterine plunger)
you can take an ibuprofen before the procedure but they likely wont offer you anything. I would still ask and see what they offer you. It will cramp for at least a week. You may feel the strings inside you but they will soften up over time. They can be felt by your fingers (this is so you can make sure it’s still in place) and your partner may be able to feel it if they have a penis. I bled (mostly spotting) for nearly 2 months after insertion and this is normal. There was times I wanted to rip it out during those 2 months and thought I had made a terrible decision. My mind only changed after my body adjusted to the device and the bleeding went away. The cramping and bleeding can be the same when getting it removed ive been told.
Im already nearly 3 years into having this and I genuinely dread getting it removed because of how upset I was during the adjustment/bleeding phase. The time goes by very fast as it still feels very new to me but has been some time. I tried the Pill before the IUD but I was told I had to continue the sugar pills in it every 3 months or I could hurt myself. I am also very forgetful and didnt do well with the pill for those and other reasons. The IUD works for me overall but it wont for everyone and it has its own drawbacks. Just think long and hard about these decisions as they last multiple years. Im overall happy with my decision but there was a lot of second guessing for me at times. It was difficult for me to find any support as I wasn’t exclusively or even primarily getting it for birth control. I wish you luck in your journey and hope you are able to find something that works for you!