They walked in expecting mild discomfort and walked out shaken, furious, and in some cases traumatized. For many, the betrayal wasn’t just the pain itself but the fact that no one told them the truth. They were told it would be “pressure,” “a cramp,” “just a pinch.” Instead, some woke up on the floor, or vomited in their car between stoplights, or shook in recovery rooms wondering if something had gone terribly wrong.
Yet amid the horror stories, other women report quick, manageable insertions, barely more than a bad period cramp. That contrast only deepens the sense that informed consent is missing. The real issue isn’t whether IUDs are effective—they are—or whether some tolerate them well—they do. It’s that women deserve options for anesthesia, honest descriptions of risk, and clinicians who treat their pain as real, not an overreaction.
