birth control
"I've had the Paragard in for a month. I read the reviews and was royally freaked out about insertion. In real life, the procedure was quick, mildly uncomfortable, and as soon as the IUD was in, I got a dull, period-like cramp that stuck around til that night. That's it! The next week: light spotting. I was also freaked out about my period being horrific, BUT I've always had heavy/painful periods, and I suspect most of the reviewers complaining about this side effect had easy-peasy periods pre-Paragard. On the IUD, mine lasted a few extra (light flow) days, and only on 1 of them did I need painkillers for cramps -- normal for me! The IUD affects every body differently; so far I'm really happy with it as an effective, non-hormonal method."