IUD Update, and Well Played, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

About a month ago, I got an IUD and you all got to learn about my cervix - no more cervix today, I promise - and just to update you, I love it more than ever.  Being off hormonal birth control has been glorious, not least because I'm not so cravey about foods (I've lost about 10 lbs since it was inserted), and I really feel comfortable knowing that my birth control has built in perfect use going for it.  Two thumbs up, and only two because I am limited by my number of hands. 

In other news, which is more official and fancy sounding, IUDs have been formally endorsed for all healthy adult women and adolescents by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.  Hooray!  After a long period of Stateside shunning, IUDs finally have a major college of professionals openly endorsing them.  The one thing that's kind of a bummer about most articles about IUDs is the way they list costs; while the actual procedure and device costs between $400 and $700, this is generally offset by insurance or by low-cost reproductive care providers like Planned Parenthood (if you click there, you can find a location near you quickly and easily).  I mentioned in my earlier article that my IUD cost $20 and saved me over $4300 in monthly birth control, which of course assumes that I will stay insured and the NuvaRing I was on before stayed covered and at the same price.  [NB: This is why preserving Planned Parenthood matters.  They provide low cost care to the people who need it most.  If you want less abortions, make reproductive care more readily available.]  I'm really happy to hear about this endorsement!