IUDs & Korean Hpspitals

This might be considered one of those TMI stories but after searching online for ages and finding very little information on the topic, I decided that I needed to post my experience somewhere. Hopefully this will end up helping some other females who have the same questions I did.

WARNING: TOPIC BELOW CONCERNS GYNECOLOGISTS, IUDs (birth control for you boys), AND FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK OF GROSSNESS. haha

Apparently, in Korea, you can just waltz up to any pharmacy and get a pack of birth control pills for under ten dollars. However, I've had several issues in the past with taking birth control pills so this wasn't an option for me. I was on the NuvaRing in the states but couldn't find any information concerning it for Korea. What I did find was tons of information about IUDs. According to several sources, IUDs are used in roughly 50% of women who use birth control. This intrigued me as it is something I won't have to take everyday or change once a month.

With my newly discovered information concerning IUDs (of which there are two types, Mirena - hormone releasing and Paragard - nonhormone releasing), I called 02-1339 (the I NEED SOMEONE WHO SPEAKS ENGLISH hotline, call for anything!) and asked for a gynecologist in Paju. The lady called the Paju hospital and informed them that a megook (American) would be arriving shortly with questions about IUDs.

I waited ten minutes to be seen by a gynecologist after getting to the Paju hospital. He was expecting me and, thankfully, spoke a little English. So, girls who live in Paju, the gynecologist there speaks enough English to get your point across. I showed him a picture of Mirena and we discussed menstrual cycles. He explained that Mirena releases hormones into your body which can cause random issues such as loss of sex drive, weight gain, and cramping. It also cost 300,000 won (roughly 300 usd). Then he talked to me about Paragard which is also an IUD. This is a copper based IUD that releases no hormones into the body. The main side effects are cramping and heavy bleeding during your menstrual cycle. Paragard only cost 50,000 won (roughly 50 usd). I mean, duh, the decision was pretty clear.

However, my discussion as to when this was going to be inserted was not clear. He started talking to me about dates and, I assumed, these were dates for when I would have it inserted. Then he asked me to take off my clothes and straddle up. I, wrongfully, assumed that this was a PAP Smear test. I mean, it was my first visit and I had read that you should be tested for pregnancy and infections before you get an IUD implanted. So I thought that was what this was. BOY WAS I WRONG.

I'm sitting in the chair...thinking to myself "Ok, so this is just a pap smear then I guess I come back...wonder if they'll want me to pee in a cu-----AH!" Pain. Pain. Pain. I felt my face go red, my vision blur, and toes curl, as I dig my nails into my skin. I don't know if it was the fact that I was not expecting it or if it really just hurt that bad but...omg...Pain. At this point I'm slightly freaking out, thoughts are racing through my mind - "This man has no idea what he's doing! I've never had this much pain during a Pap Smear! He's an idiot!" Then I hear "IUD done."

Um...excuse me? What did you just do?

I quickly get dressed after the procedure and talk to the doctor after. He tells me that it's going to hurt real bad for a day or two but will get better after that. He hands me the phone and this young kid tells me "Remove gauze in three to four hours", I hand the phone back and the doctor laughs - telling me his son speaks better English. I point to my stomach, not believing what just happened, "IUD...in...me?" and the doctor nods his head. I give a nervous laugh..."wow, doctor fast" to which he replies "Thank you."

Did I want an IUD? Yes. I did. Did I expect to get one today? Not in the slightest. Does it hurt? Yes, it does. I can barely move, I've been curled in a ball since I got home. I'm missing a fantastic game of Risk tonight because I literally fear moving - so much so that even crawling 15 feet to the bathroom seems likes suicide. This isn't to say that it's like this for everyone. I've had issues in the past that are probably contributing to this as well as the fact that I've never had a baby which, from what I've read, causes more agony.

But for a total of 57,500 won I have birth control that will last for the next ten years if everything stays dandy down there. The joys of health care. A beautiful thing. I'm thinking it's totally worth it.