Nova T 380

i first had a coil fitted when i was 19, i was told i could not have the combined pill due to family medical history (increased risk of blood-clotting) and i had tried the progesterone only pill and the injection but found the progesterone was giving me horrible side effects (bleeding constantly, terrible acne which still has not fully gone, mood swings), i knew the only other option really was a coil, i was happy with this as it meant i was completely protected from pregnancy without having to take hormones. anyway, i went to the clinc to have it fitted, there was a doctor and a nurse present for the fitting, i was told to have something to eat and take 2 strong pain killers before the appointment. which i did. when i got to the clinic the nurse discussed my medical history etc with me and explained what the procedure would entail. i removed my jeans and underwear and lay on the bed, legs apart (obviously), the nurse done an internal examination, apparantly to check the positioning of my uterus and general health of pelvis/vagina, the internal examination was basically just the nurse prodding around inside me, didnt hurt abit and is not the part of the procedure you need to worry about. next i had a spectrum inserted, think thats the correct name anyway, which is like a metal case which the doctor/nurse used to open up my vagina. then they said as i had never had a child my cervix had never been opened so to help alleviate the pain they would use a local anaestetic on my cervix, the doctor produced a needle and proceded to insert this in me and inject it into my cervix, which hurt a lot, on a scale of 1 to 10 i would say was a 7, next they inserted the coil, which is the most painful part, there is a strong cramping sensation as it is being fixed into the uterus, like the worst period pain you can possibly imagine, i had the nurse holding my hand though which helped, afterwards i had pain and bleeding for about 3 days, after about a week a checked the threads and was alarmed to feel them half way down, instead of right a the top were they are supposed to be, i went back to the clinic was checked by the doctor and was told the coil had become misplaced, i e it was no longer were it was supposed to be so was no longer effective, i had it removed, which did hurt a lot, i had to wait untill my next period before they could fit another one as there was a risk of pregnancy as the coil had not been in the right place, i hadnt had sex and told them this but they still said i had to wait for next period. anyway, went back after next period and had a different type of coil fitted this time, i had a t-safe fitted as they said it was smaller and is less likely to be expelled this time, the second time of having the coil inserted was much easier and almost pain free, as i knew what to expect and was not nervous that time, and i had my cervix opened previously, apparantly its less painful the second time, i think thats why women who have had babies dont find the procedure painful. i have had the coil in for 7 years now, it lasts for 10, i had heavy painful periods for about 6 months afterwards but it settled down, and i would recommend this form of contraception to anyone,the best thing about it is it is hormone free, i have seen in some reviews people saying it doesnt protect against stds but this is a bit of a no-brainer, the only thing that protects against stds obviously is condoms, which should be used alongside any other form of contraception so i would not list that as a disadvantage, i honestly have no disadvantages to list apart from the painful fitting, which only lasts for a few minutes so dont let that put you off, just make sure you have some nurofen, a hotwater bottle, and no plans for the rest of the day x