|
DoggPickle posted:I understand every point that you have made, but seriously, if this didn't have something to do with patents and the absolute male authority to tell us what to do with our lady-bits, there wouldn't even be any comparison between a very simple shot of anesthetic and a replacement of a matchstick on my arm (that lasts 3 whole years, no foolin'!), and having you act like an embarassed teen, spread your legs, be violated by a huge metal opposite BBQ tongs(probably paying for a pelvic before-hand) and letting someone shove an IUD into your Cervix.  Having an IUD inserted isn't really an embarrassing or violating thing for most people (or it wasn't to me at least). Not the most comfortable thing, but not the most painful either. It kind of sounds like you have your own personal issues there, I don't think Planned Parenthood of all places is men trying to keep women down with affordable access to birth control. And I guess it just boils down to personal preference. I don't really understand being freaked out about having a cervix, but then again I'm personally really uncomfortable with the idea of having an implant shoved just under my skin. To each their own.
|
#
?
Jul 17, 2013 12:18
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 07:01 |
|
|
I did not feel violated getting my IUD. I had a wonderful gyno who talked me through the whole ting and did her best to minimize my discomfort. I felt liberated that I had such an awesome BC choice available to me to ease my anxiety about sex and now I want to Oprah the world with all types of LARCs. You get a LARC! You get a LARC! Everyone gets a LARC!!!
|
|
#
?
Jul 17, 2013 14:06
|
|
|
Sorry I got a little weird yesterday. I was just getting really irritated after speaking to 5 different OBGYN offices, where the person answering the phone either had no idea what I was talking about, or gave me purposely false or lazily incorrect information. (C'mon, I've had my implanon for 3 years! What is the reason that these offices don't know anything about it?) I'm glad many of you have had very good gynecologists, but that doesn't happen for everyone. I can't count the number of times I have been talked-down-to, or just not treated very nicely. I miss the "family" type practices that I remember when I was little. But when you grow up and change jobs or change insurance or change locations every year, you never see the same person twice. Every new doctor is a crapshoot. It's just frustrating. I'm gonna try the Planned Parenthood that is farther away, but they're only open 4 days a week, so I can wait and calm down anyways. 
|
|
#
?
Jul 17, 2013 14:33
|
|
|
Well, if it makes you feel any better (or least some solidarity) the one who did my IUD is the only good one I have ever had who actually treated me like a human capable of making choices about my body. edit: I just moved to a new place so I am having to do the new doctor search too. It suckkksssss. So far I've found an rear end in a top hat endocrinologist. Awesome. edit2: Also, Charlottesville might be a bit of a drive from NoVA, but our PP is open 6 days a week. Geolicious fucked around with this message at 14:37 on Jul 17, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jul 17, 2013 14:34
|
|
|
Turns out I had a cyst, which is entirely what I expected. What I didn't expect was that it would be over 3x the size of my normal left ovary. The doctor thinks that it likely burst with my period over the weekend, but I've got a followup ultrasound in a month.
|
|
#
?
Jul 17, 2013 16:48
|
|
|
I haven't seen this mentioned in this thread yet but Plan B is now available over the counter with no ID required. However any boxes that still have the age/ID requirement listed can't be sold unless they check your ID. I guess my point is don't flip out if you obviously look over 17 and some place is trying to get rid of their existing stock. My other point is if you use only barrier methods of contraception you should have Plan B on hand just in case.
|
|
#
?
Jul 17, 2013 17:59
|
|
|
NewsGunkie posted:Turns out I had a cyst, which is entirely what I expected. Ow. Ow ow ow.  Are you feeling any better?
|
|
#
?
Jul 17, 2013 21:47
|
|
|
Well I finally talked my gyn into a progestin-only pill after the fourth failed combo pill. I mentioned to the nurse that I was looking into Implanon and Mirena if the progestin-only pill worked out for me. She remained very neutral, but Kristen, the nurse practitioner I see, pretty much ran me out of the office in order to keep from having to talk about it. She didn't even bother talking to me before writing up a prescription, just came in, handed it to me, and said to make sure to take it at the same time every day. I'm really getting tired of the way I'm treated there, but I can't afford anything else right now, and I do love the GP side of the health center. They're awesome and super nice and I don't even have to show ID anymore half the time because everybody knows me. I'd hate for this one thing to spoil my experience there.
|
|
#
?
Jul 17, 2013 22:37
|
|
|
DoggPickle posted:Sorry I got a little weird yesterday. I was just getting really irritated after speaking to 5 different OBGYN offices, where the person answering the phone either had no idea what I was talking about, or gave me purposely false or lazily incorrect information. (C'mon, I've had my implanon for 3 years! What is the reason that these offices don't know anything about it?) I know this kind of thing can be frustrating! And I guess I should add that not all of my experiences with doctors have been great. None of them have been outright terrible, but there have definitely been some I didn't like much at all. It's a similar experience when you're like me and are basically stuck with free/low cost clinics - different doctors all the time and not necessarily a nice one. But if it makes you feel better, the best experience I've had was at Planned Parenthood when I was going through the whole process of getting my IUD.
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2013 00:13
|
|
|
I had my yearly OB/GYN appointment today, and I mentioned that I was curious about the implant since while my pills work fine (haven't had any kids, controlled my very irregular periods), I'm starting to resent having to take a pill every single day at the exact same time. My doctor recommended for me getting the Mirena instead since it lasts longer, the implant has more of a risk for spotting/irregular bleeding/discomfort (if I remember correctly), and in his experience, a lot of his patients were wanting to rip the implant out after the first year. I'm also obese, so I'm thinking that the implant would last even shorter than the 3 years that is supposed to be? (I'm still shocked that my doctor recommended the IUD since I'm under 30 and haven't had any pregnancies.) I was curious on what your thoughts were between the two. I'm leaning more towards the IUD personally, but I would like to get your opinions on the matter before I make a decision. Also, I think that I'd have better luck getting my insurance to cover the IUD over the implant, but I could be wrong. If I can't afford either of them, then I'll stick to my pills that I get for free. I have a week and a half to decide, or a month and a week to decide if I'm still unsure.
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2013 01:46
|
|
|
I've never used the implant personally and have a Paragard IUD, so I'm not sure I'm really qualified to make a recommendation here one way or the other. But the under 30 and childless thing really isn't much of an issue with IUDs if that's something you're concerned about. It can make the insertion a little more uncomfortable and slightly raises your risk of expulsion in the first month or so, but otherwise it's really no big deal. It used to be commonly believed that childless women were always at a higher risk of expulsion, but that's been found to not really be the case. I know when I first asked about an IUD, no one seemed to care much about my age or lack of pregnancies beyond just the usual "doctor checking out my medical history" interest. It certainly was not an obstacle and 7 months in I'm having no problems (and still no pregnancies!). Also if you're concerned about it, there is a new IUD created specifically with women who have never had children in mind there that's basically the same as Mirena. It's called Skyla and I think the main differences are that it's a bit smaller and I think only lasts 3 years (similar to the implant) rather than 5.
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2013 02:08
|
|
|
I'm not really concerned about the no pregnancies thing. It's more of a "huh, that's odd" reaction since I thought the IUD wouldn't be an option for me. Shows how much I know. 
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2013 02:17
|
|
|
Yeah that used to be an old concern and some doctors are traditionalists about it. But there's really no reason a nulliparous woman can't get one.
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2013 02:35
|
|
|
SilverSliver posted:Ow. Ow ow ow. I'm still cramping a bit, though this morning I was fine while at the dr's. I guess a 6.5 cm cyst won't just disappear overnight.
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2013 05:47
|
|
|
Miz Kriss posted:I had my yearly OB/GYN appointment today, and I mentioned that I was curious about the implant since while my pills work fine (haven't had any kids, controlled my very irregular periods), I'm starting to resent having to take a pill every single day at the exact same time. It seems like a lot more people here have IUD's, but I absolutely love my implanon. It's the best thing that ever happened to me. I have zero period or any symptoms whatsoever. I haven't bought a tampon or even had to think about one in 2.75 years. But I've read that is not super common to get complete amenorrhea. I bruise really easily, so my arm looked like a train wreck for a week or two, but I can't see it or feel it unless my dog jumps on me with her tiny razor feet in exactly the right spot. Again, sorry for the crazy post. I had a really bad day dealing with these people, especially since it's been 3 years since I even thought about it, and I used to have Kaiser so I just had to go wherever they told me. It's like Doctor's offices don't know what to do with someone with no insurance. They also have literally no idea how much things cost if you just want to pay for it directly. I mean NO idea whatsoever. They wouldn't even guess at it. Isn't that a terrible way to run a service industry??
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2013 19:20
|
|
|
Miz Kriss posted:I'm not really concerned about the no pregnancies thing. It's more of a "huh, that's odd" reaction since I thought the IUD wouldn't be an option for me. Shows how much I know. I'm 19 and have had no pregnancies and have a great but very conservative OBGYN - she still gave me a Mirena on Tuesday. I also learned that she's the same OB that my mother went to when she was pregnant with me two decades ago, and that weirds me right out. Trip report: Ow. I'm glad I had two straight days off of work for this, because my cramps for about 36 hours after the insertion were pretty unbearable, even with ibuprofen and plenty of  . It's my third day with it and I'm done spotting and the cramps are minimal. The measuring bit before the actual insertion was definitely the worst part of the procedure, but none of it was horrifying or violating. I'm really excited about never having to take a pill again because I was starting to resent that (and become more careless) too. Here's hoping no side effects ruin the cyborg party in my uterus.
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2013 20:11
|
|
|
Can anyone share their experiences with pain/spotting/bleeding after IUD removal? Mine is coming out on Tuesday. Cramps and bleeding were both pretty bad when I had it inserted; how does insertion compare to removal?
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2013 20:21
|
|
|
DoggPickle posted:Again, sorry for the crazy post. I had a really bad day dealing with these people, especially since it's been 3 years since I even thought about it, and I used to have Kaiser so I just had to go wherever they told me. It's like Doctor's offices don't know what to do with someone with no insurance. They also have literally no idea how much things cost if you just want to pay for it directly. I mean NO idea whatsoever. They wouldn't even guess at it. Isn't that a terrible way to run a service industry?? It seems to depend a lot on the area and who you're dealing with. I originally come from a college town, so there were lots of free clinics and places like urgent care around. And none of them so much as batted an eye if you didn't have insurance because I guess they saw it a lot. But the private practice doctors there? No idea. Like the possibility that someone exists with health insurance never occurred to them. I live in an area now that's mostly factory workers and the like, which I guess all offer insurance. So all medical care is insanely expensive and they're pretty bewildered when they encounter someone with no insurance. Oddly enough though the one (!) OB/GYN in town had no problem quoting me a price for my IUD - $200 just to get in the door, $1000 for the actual insertion, and probably another $200 for a follow-up. In my quest for an IUD: - I first went to my local health department where I got my BC pills. The doctor there got majorly over excited and tried to rush me into getting a Mirena. It actually would have been free, but I chickened out because I don't handle hormonal stuff well. - Went to a free sexual health clinic held by a county health department one county over. Where an ancient OB/GYN told me flat out "We don't do those here, go somewhere else." - Finally went to Planned Parenthood in a town 30 minutes away where it cost $600 altogether but seemed to be the cheapest I was going to get. And the funny thing was the nurses at PP were absolutely shocked to find out it cost that much. They apparently had no idea and asked me about it once they found out I was paying out of pocket. So I guess what I'm saying with my rambling post is, I feel your pain.
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2013 21:01
|
|
|
The Schwa posted:Can anyone share their experiences with pain/spotting/bleeding after IUD removal? Mine is coming out on Tuesday. Cramps and bleeding were both pretty bad when I had it inserted; how does insertion compare to removal? When I removed my Paragard (by accident, oops), it felt like a biggish cramp and then done. My period went back to normal pretty much immediately as it happened at the end of my cycle and I had little cramping afterward. Compared to insertion (cramped for at least a week after), it was way easier and very quick since my uterus didn't eat the strings or anything.
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2013 21:23
|
|
|
NewsGunkie posted:I'm still cramping a bit, though this morning I was fine while at the dr's. I guess a 6.5 cm cyst won't just disappear overnight. What up, cyst buddy  Toting around giant extra sacks of fluid around your lady bits sucks balls. I've had three 6cm+ cysts so far this year and, going off the symptom escalation, I'm 90% sure that the 2cm one that was found during my last ultrasound 2 weeks ago has decided to become Mega Cyst #4. I don't know what the hell my body's problem is, I've been on the same BC (the Evra patch) since 2006 with no prior issues. When I had the first of my giant ovary buddies in January, my GP said the same thing as your doctor, that it would probably go away during my next period. She was kind of right, as it was smaller by my next period...but that was discovered because I had to have an emergency laparoscopy from my ovary going into torsion. At least they took out the cyst while they were in there! The surgeon also wanted to fixate the ovary to prevent future torsions on that side, but there apparently wasn't enough room in my pelvis to actually perform the procedure. Then a month and half later, Mega Cyst #2 came along and, through some nasty union of extra violent period cramps and excess inflammation from my slow recovery from the surgery, pressed everything in my pelvis wonkily against some nerves and made me lose feeling in my left leg for two days. So yeah, giving you good vibes and hoping you don't have to go through any of that 
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2013 22:38
|
|
|
I had unusually difficult IUD removals because my uterus eats IUD strings (according to my current doc my uterus is quite large...go me?) so they have to go fishing in my uterus for it. That part sucks, but should not happen for you. The actual removal once they find the strings is just one big cramp and then done. No lingering cramping. As for afterwards, when my second Mirena was removed for me to get pregnant I had two days of spotting, then a normal period (I had not had periods at all while on the Mirena). Then a slightly long cycle (about 3 days longer than pre-IUD), then got pregnant. So stuff went back to normal quite quickly for me.
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2013 22:54
|
|
|
I'm finding it amazing that my insurance completely covers Implanon and Paragard, but not Mirena. I would have thought it would be the other way around. At least my insurance is decent and I only have to pay 10% of the bill.
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2013 23:07
|
|
|
Kimmalah posted:- Finally went to Planned Parenthood in a town 30 minutes away where it cost $600 altogether but seemed to be the cheapest I was going to get. And the funny thing was the nurses at PP were absolutely shocked to find out it cost that much. They apparently had no idea and asked me about it once they found out I was paying out of pocket. It's $860 at my PP. :/ (edit - 700 for IUD. I was thinking of the implanon. end edit) I didn't mean to make a "drat the man" rambling post either.. but jeez, IUD's and Implants are basically foolproof and would make so many people's lives better and stop so many unwanted pregnancies, yet they're annoying, if not difficult to get, expensive, and there is so little knowledge out there in the real world. It's not like they're brand new! You know it was like 30 days from the first dude who got a boner from Viagra until it was on the shelves and being handed out like candy. I'm no feminazi, but there is most certainly something funky here. Why have I never seen a single ad on TV for an implanon? I have seen Mirena ads the last few years, and the NuvaRing on Hulu, so that's a start I guess? (The nuvaring ad is hilariously dumb though lol. You'll know what I mean if you've seen it) DoggPickle fucked around with this message at 00:16 on Jul 19, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2013 00:08
|
|
|
Is there any reason an OBGYN's office wouldn't be able to check with my insurance if something is covered? I've left messages asking but I haven't heard back and it's been like a week. Their office is ridiculously busy so I'm not surprised, but I don't want to try to keep calling their office in vain. I just don't want to call my insurance myself if I can avoid it because I am a huge baby.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2013 00:15
|
|
|
DoggPickle posted:It's $860 at my PP. :/ It could have been 860 at my Planned Parenthood too, it just cost me 600 for Paragard (which as I understand it is generally the cheaper IUD). I don't really know what the deal is with Implanon exactly, but the reputation of IUDs in the U.S. took a huge hit back in the 70s because of the whole Dalkon Shield debacle. For a while there (until 1985 I think) there was no IUD on the market at all in the U.S. So there's basically a whole generation of doctors who were never really trained how to insert them and so were hesitant to even recommend them. I think it's just now that IUDs are really coming back into favor. However in the rest of the world, they're actually the most popular/common form of birth control used due to the fact that they're so long-lasting and foolproof. And generally pretty cheap in other countries. I have seen a few posters advertising Nexplanon (which is the same thing as Implanon, just made to be visible on x-ray). But those were in the window of Planned Parenthood. I've seen like one TV ad for Paragard, but from what I understand the company that makes them is actually rather small compared to a giant like Bayer.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2013 00:25
|
|
|
Miz Kriss posted:I'm also obese, so I'm thinking that the implant would last even shorter than the 3 years that is supposed to be? (I'm still shocked that my doctor recommended the IUD since I'm under 30 and haven't had any pregnancies.) Technically, this hasn't been proven one way or the other in the case of the implant. "They" assume it is less so because other hormonal methods are. Just something I wanted to point out  I don't have the guts to get an IUD, so I've never considered it, but I did have the implant for two years. I finally got it taken out because I kept bleeding non-stop.Tshirt Ninja posted:I also learned that she's the same OB that my mother went to when she was pregnant with me two decades ago, and that weirds me right out. 7 of the women (3 generations) in my family use the same doctor. I find that to be awesome instead of weird. Like the cycle completing itself or something. Kerfuffle posted:Is there any reason an OBGYN's office wouldn't be able to check with my insurance if something is covered? No, but you can also check yourself by calling the number on the back of your card (it's usually there anyway).
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2013 00:56
|
|
|
Reformed Tomboy posted:No, but you can also check yourself by calling the number on the back of your card (it's usually there anyway). That's what I did. The entire call took only about 5/10 minutes.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2013 01:44
|
|
|
Guess I'll suck it up then, thanks everyone.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2013 02:46
|
|
|
I've always found calling the insurance not as much of a PITA as trying to get the doctor's office to figure poo poo out.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2013 03:05
|
|
|
Reformed Tomboy posted:Technically, this hasn't been proven one way or the other in the case of the implant. "They" assume it is less so because other hormonal methods are. Just something I wanted to point out I am a little bit overweight. Well I'm 5'5" and 150, but muscular with huge boobies. Whatever. After the exact 3 years kicked in on my implant, I had a weird couple days where I feel like I had bloating and gas, and my stomach hurt in a strange way that kinda knocked me on my butt. I only realized, like a dope, because I hadn't felt it in 3 years, that these were cramps. I only decided that I was having a bit of a period when I had a tiny bit of pink show up.. ewww.. and then I thought "Duh". So, to each his own, everyone is different, blah blah blah, but my implant worked perfectly up until the month it was "Due" and then I think I had a bit of a menstruation. Oh gosh, please let me get this thing changed out before a real one happens. If I ever bleed again, I'm going to go nuts. Short story- bit overweight, implant worked perfectly as advertised until advertised date of expiration. Their built-in wiggle-room seems to be just about perfect. Single case study.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2013 03:19
|
|
|
Yeah, as far as insurance, I had to run some kind of weird circle--I told my doctor I wanted a Mirena, then they called my insurance company to put in a request or something, but then the insurance company called me to give me a final quote and get the okay from me, then I called my doctor back to tell her I'd gotten the okay from insurance and to go ahead and order it. But the talking to insurance part was not bad at all, they told me exactly how much it would be and how I could pay. Surprisingly easy.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2013 11:37
|
|
|
Geez, I was annoyed my copper IUD wasn't covered by my insurance at all and I had to pay $90 (in Canada). Why does it cost $600 in America?? Is that including paying the doctor? It doesn't make sense to me why my insurance plans wouldn't pay for an IUD. I don't see why they'd rather cover $30/month for birth control pills or whatever it was. Is there an actual reason for this?
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2013 19:45
|
|
|
mango time posted:Geez, I was annoyed my copper IUD wasn't covered by my insurance at all and I had to pay $90 (in Canada). Why does it cost $600 in America?? Is that including paying the doctor? For me it was $80 for the consultation (I assume that included all the tests they ran), $500 for the actual insertion, then $50 for the 6-week follow-up appointment. Apparently that particular Planned Parenthood had lost its group funding or something, so they couldn't a do a sliding scale fee system like some do. And it wasn't that insurance wouldn't pay for it, it's that I don't have health insurance at all. Too old to be on my parents' plan and my job doesn't offer benefits to its part-time employees (in fact they keep us part-time specifically to avoid it). So I just don't have any. I found birth control pills much easier to get as most clinics seem to offer them at a reduced price. So I actually got birth control pills for free (based on my income) for almost 4 years. I just switched because I couldn't tolerate the side-effects anymore and was kind of limited in what types of pills they offered.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2013 20:29
|
|
|
Kimmalah posted:For me it was $80 for the consultation (I assume that included all the tests they ran), $500 for the actual insertion, then $50 for the 6-week follow-up appointment. Apparently that particular Planned Parenthood had lost its group funding or something, so they couldn't a do a sliding scale fee system like some do. That really sucks! I certainly won't be complaining about having to pay $90 then. Sometimes I forget the extent to which the American health care system is different. It would have been only $90 for me even if I didn't have an insurance plan. That's really great that it is possible to get free birth control pills though. But it is kind of like how I feel about my insurance, if they're going to pay for birth control pills each month, wouldn't it cost them less in the long-term to pay for an IUD? Are IUDs just not popular enough in North America? I don't know anything about the economics/politics behind these decisions about what to pay for so I'm sure it is more complex than the way I'm thinking about it.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2013 23:10
|
|
|
Wooo my insurance said the procedure I asked about was 100% covered sans any expenses the office might include for visits. 
|
|
#
?
Jul 20, 2013 07:05
|
|
|
mango time posted:That really sucks! I certainly won't be complaining about having to pay $90 then. Sometimes I forget the extent to which the American health care system is different. It would have been only $90 for me even if I didn't have an insurance plan. That's really great that it is possible to get free birth control pills though. But it is kind of like how I feel about my insurance, if they're going to pay for birth control pills each month, wouldn't it cost them less in the long-term to pay for an IUD? Are IUDs just not popular enough in North America? I don't know anything about the economics/politics behind these decisions about what to pay for so I'm sure it is more complex than the way I'm thinking about it. It is pretty complex and crazy-- I live in Washington state and my friends actually do have state-subsidized IUDs so they got theirs for free and, because of how the subsidy they were using worked, it was a way more financially viable option than paying 20 bucks a month for pills and totally for the reasons you described. Now birth control pills are actually free which is awesome, but some places do have (difficult to find and navigate usually) subsidies set up to make IUDs either affordable or totally free outside of the clinics themselves. Frequently the economics and availability are, of course, caught up in political red tape that can exist for like a million reasons (ranging from legitimate fiscal breakdowns, "hurr I ain't payin for women to have sex!", the voting districts of the states themselves, etc-- basically anything and everything). As I'm sure you know, women's sexual autonomy is a pretty huge hot-button issue here politically. IUDs are pretty popular though when they're available, at least in my experience. Most of my girl friends with good insurance have IUDs, but a lot of birth control decisions hinge on cost and insurance coverage. I'm still using the minipill because it's free for me now and it's a completely financial decision as my insurance isn't very IUD-friendly.
|
|
#
?
Jul 20, 2013 09:15
|
|
|
Not to sound smug or anything, but drat I feel for you US ladies. I told my GP I wanted an implant and she stuck it in me, money never even crossed my mind. I'd never heard of it or IUDs outside of the Internet/this thread though, which is why I tell basically everyone about it. Personally, the implant is the best thing to ever happen to my reproductive system.
|
|
#
?
Jul 20, 2013 15:51
|
|
|
Brazilian Werewolf posted:It is pretty complex and crazy-- I live in Washington state and my friends actually do have state-subsidized IUDs so they got theirs for free and, because of how the subsidy they were using worked, it was a way more financially viable option than paying 20 bucks a month for pills and totally for the reasons you described. Now birth control pills are actually free which is awesome, but some places do have (difficult to find and navigate usually) subsidies set up to make IUDs either affordable or totally free outside of the clinics themselves. Frequently the economics and availability are, of course, caught up in political red tape that can exist for like a million reasons (ranging from legitimate fiscal breakdowns, "hurr I ain't payin for women to have sex!", the voting districts of the states themselves, etc-- basically anything and everything). As I'm sure you know, women's sexual autonomy is a pretty huge hot-button issue here politically. I guess I should add that I was given the option of signing up for a state-level Medicaid program that probably would have paid for my IUD. The problem being that the paperwork asks for the financial/health insurance information of everyone living with you. Which at the time, I was living with family that made decent money but didn't really financially support me beyond regular household stuff like utilities. So I was afraid that I'd probably be disqualified based on the household income even though I was paying solely for my own care. Plus the paperwork itself was just super complicated and asked for information I really had no way of knowing. So I finally just called up Planned Parenthood for an estimate and bit the bullet. $600 or so is a lot of money on my pay, but it was manageable and worth it to me. I'd imagine some of it may still be that IUDs are considered a little unusual in the U.S. compared to BC pills thanks to the fear surrounding whole Dalkon Shield thing. It seems like they're just now coming back on the radar now that there are viable options on the U.S. market. And I think I also recall a study done somewhere that found if money were not a concern, the vast majority of women either went with something long-term like an IUD or just plain got sterilized.
|
|
#
?
Jul 20, 2013 15:54
|
|
|
mango time posted:Sometimes I forget the extent to which the American health care system is pretty hosed up. Fixed that a little. I owe a shitton of money because I dared to go to the doctor for how badly I feel (unrelated to lady thangs) before my work insurance kicks in. She didn't even help me. Just asked me why I came to to doctor without insurance and didn't refill my scripts.
|
|
#
?
Jul 20, 2013 16:14
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 07:01 |
|
|
floofyscorp posted:Not to sound smug or anything, but drat I feel for you US ladies. I told my GP I wanted an implant and she stuck it in me, money never even crossed my mind. I'd never heard of it or IUDs outside of the Internet/this thread though, which is why I tell basically everyone about it. Personally, the implant is the best thing to ever happen to my reproductive system. Yeah! It took me about 3 weeks from registering at the new GP to having it put in my arm and having to pay for anything never crossed my mind at all. I'm horrified by all these tales from the US. So, I've had Nexplanon for just over 2 months and it's going pretty well. It felt like puberty all over again for a while and my periods are long, light and spotty but more manageable than the usual deluge so I'm alright with that. I'm hoping there's still a chance they'll disappear! Zvezda fucked around with this message at 16:57 on Jul 20, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jul 20, 2013 16:54
|
|
