IUD insertion is painful. For the first time, the CDC issued guidance for physicians.

19thnews.org

Feminism @beehaw.org

Gaywallet (they/it) @beehaw.org

11mo ago

IUD insertion is painful. For the first time, the CDC issued guidance for physicians.

19thnews.org /2024/08/iud-insertion-cdc-guidance-physicians/

13 comments

The last time I got an iud inserted I specifically asked for better pain relief, as I’d previously had one inserted and it hurt like hell.
The woman told me “you don’t need that, it doesn’t hurt that bad”.
I was like look, I very recently had my uterus inflated with saline to check it over, and I vividly remember how much that hurt (it was horrific, 0/5 stars, do not recommend) so yeah I do want pain relief.. whether you think I should need it or not.
She told me to take Tylenol or ibuprofen. Like thanks, super helpful.. I didn’t have options for other gynos, so I sucked it up.
I’m really glad this is being taken more seriously because holy shit are doctors out of fucking touch.
When I got one inserted in Canada I was given Tylenol with Codeine, a valium and a cervical dilator (Misoprostol). My appointment included time to let the medicine kick in, recovery time in a comfy chair with a juice box and making sure I had a ride home (because of the valium).
When I got one placed in the USA I got told that it doesn't hurt and I'm imagining the pain, because I saw blood on the spiked forceps that they clamp onto your cervix. I was begrudgingly given an instant heat pack and told that they need the room.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/tenaculum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qG2gUnP4c8
- My favorite cervix fact that I hear from far too many US gynecologists is, the cervix doesn't have pain receptors. Only pressure receptors. Big pinch!
About damn time
- Almost 2 decades late. It's crazy what happens when physicians listen to their patients.
Oh, JFC!! :
“When considering patient pain, it is important to recognize that the experience of pain is individualized and might be influenced by previous experiences including trauma and mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety,” according to the CDC’s guidance.
So after decades of being told this pain is all in our heads, we finally get pain relief - and they're still claiming it's all in our fucking heads!!
- And how many practitioners will “recognize” it and still choose not to give us anything for the pain
  I’ve had chronic pain for over 10 years, take pain meds daily, and it still hurts like a mofo
- Official CDC take: “ women and their hysterics ammi right??”
The physicians of the past failed women.
- Wait til you hear about the modern ones.
I got berated for showing to my appointment after taking four 200mg ibuprofen.
She looked at me in my eyes with her eyes and said, "Don't you know that (paywalled medical journal) finds no variance in pain response after 600 mg? You didn't need to take EIGHT hundred milligrams. That's just wasteful!"
Unsurprisingly it still hurt. I never went back to that practice.
- Wasteful? Of the 7¢ ibuprofen pill? Boo fuckin hoo lol.
It's stupid because we've literally had the technology to prevent suffering for over 100 years, but some idiot still thinks you should just suck it up.

13 comments