Copper coil (IUD) vs Vasectomy

The copper coil hurt the first day of insertion but then immediately settled. My periods have become slightly heavier and cramps a bit more painful but still very manageable with just paracetamol and ibuprofen. I am lucky in that my periods only last 4-5 days anyway. My moods change with a normal cycle pattern, I get some acne during my luteal phase. I love having protection but not having the negative impacts on my MH like hormonal contraception had. Would recommend.

It's so hard finding contraception that doesn't have side effects and I wanted a hormone free form, so opted for copper IUD. Insertion is manageable, with painkillers beforehand. The first period was tough, I invested in a tens machine pad but the cramps were hard, but not worse than the worst period I've had. Second period non existent, literally three days and barely any blood, but third was heavy and lasted for 10 days. I stopped using the coil not because of any of this alone, but because I'm sure the inflammation in my body was making me uncharacteristically anxious. So hard to put my finger on, but since I got it removed it's been a weight off my shoulders. I'm now worrying that hormonal IUD will make me more anxious, and I haven't had it put in yet. It's overall not been too awful- I wouldn't not recomend it but I had it put in for emergency contraception so hoping there is a better solution out there without the anxiety side effects.

Really liked this. Tried hormonal methods and ended up having a negative experience with them so had a go at this one. Works great. Most problems stopped after 6 months, like heavier bleeds and back pain etc. Eventually got down back to normal but it takes time to adjust. Genuinely made my life so much better, sex is great and I don't need to worry about hormones or my menstural cycle.

As a woman the vasectomy is the best contraception I feel we have ever had. I have no pain, weight gain, mood swings, plastic packaging or costs. I highly recommend.

Sept 1998. Had a vasectomy. Easy and quick. Done in the hospital operating room on a Friday morning. Went home And took it easy. Took it easy at work Monday no problems. By Wednesday started feeling pain in testicles. Called doctors office. Doctors gone on holiday. Anyway from this point the pain only gets worse and all the doctors have to say is that they have never seen anyone in such pain. Within the first six months I had met with a variety of doctors and tried a wide variety of drugs, therapies and nerve blocks. Nothing worked for more than a few hours (nerve blocks did!). I had the vasectomy reversed June 1999 at my own cost of $2000. It was about three months before i felt better from that. Sadly only my left testicle had resolved. The right side still had the same pain. I had a semen test done. First ever in my life. I had sperm count of 125 million / ml. Surgeon thought that was great but still pain persisted in my right testicle. Followup turned into another vas reversal but just for the right side. This one I didn’t have to pay for because it was for chronic pain. Sadly it didn’t help. Now it’s 2020! I have endured this for 22 years. I wish I had never done it. That’s my absolute last word.

Vasectomy has been a very effective contraceptive for me. It is good because it has allowed my hormones to follow a natural rhythm. Unfortunately I have experienced depression(and severe PMS) as I would like to have more children(but my partner does not). This has decreased my libido significantly and made me consider using hormonal contraception to level out my hormone levels.

As noted before, testicular pain/discomfort and testicles sensitive to pressure to the extent that rucked underpants could lead to quite severe pain. Gradually diminished over years but not completely. Testicles still more sensitive than should be. Did lead to reduction in enjoyment of sex as experience could be painful on occasions. Apparently quite a high side effect risk. Effective contraception method but took a few weeks to get the all clear.

For women, this is the most natural contraceptive on the market. For me and all the other men, its mostly psychological, but had no side effects.

Vasectomies are relatively safe for surgical procedures, but it is STILL SURGERY and as such has risks and side effects. In particular be aware that many of the side effects aren't really talked about. In my case I thought I was well educated about the procedure (I am a nurse) but it wasn't until after the deed was done that I learned for about 10% of men (numbers vary from study to study) the pain from surgery never entirety goes away. Most of the time (including in my case) it's pretty mild and you can still function, but it's always there and I was not warned about that possibility. As far as sexual side effects, there's a lot of misinformation out there so let me cover the basics: -You still ejaculate, and the amount is pretty much unchanged. However, the consistency of your semen does change--often runnier post-op. -You can still get someone pregnant for a few months after the procedure. Plan accordingly. -Officially there shouldn't be any difference in orgasm or sex drive. I must disagree. Orgasm doesn't feel the same at all, but seems to be slowly recovering over time. At 1 month post-op sex was actually pretty unpleasant to the point I just wasn't interested at all. I am at 2 months now and it's . . . pleasant again but still not what it once was. -The appearance of your genitals may change a little, particularly the way the testicles hang. Nothing major, but it can make you feel pretty self conscious. The surgery itself isn't too bad-- kind of like a root canal but more embarrassing. I'm still pretty recent post-op so I am hoping things improve, the side effects aren't unbearable but I do wish they hadn't downplayed them as much as they did.

I had a vasectomy at the age of 31 after fathering two children. I didn't want my wife to be taking drugs for the rest of her child-bearing years - and I also didn't want the risk of another mouth to feed. My doctor tried to dissuade me on the basis that I may want children in the future. However, we went ahead and it was very straightforward, not all that painful and 100% effective. Ps: You don't lose your mojo!