By Erin Kayata
There’s a corner of TikTok where women are posting videos of themselves getting intrauterine devices (IUDs). Many are in so much pain that they end up moaning, yelping and breathing like they’re in labor.
IUDs are a highly effective and long-lasting form of birth control placed in the uterus. Research shows that many people who get IUDs experience moderate to intense pain during the insertion. But it wasn’t until recently that providers began to acknowledge this and do something about it.
This year, the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts became one of the first providers in New England to advertise the fact that all patients can get sedated during the procedure. According to PPLM, patients will have the option of IV sedation at its health centers throughout the state. PPLM previously offered a local anesthetic for the procedure.
