Partner and I are looking for the ideal birth control for us and it seems IUDs might be the way to go. We’re scheduling an appointment with a gynecologist now, but were wondering if anyone had any information/experience/advice that could be good to know.
Thanks in advance!
8 comments
You need to have a medical reason for insurance to kick in. Such as “I have cramps” or “my period is unreliable or very long/heavy”
I’m getting one soon and expecting to still pay a couple 万 for the device and procedure. I’d get a nexplanon again but it’s not available here and I can’t wait till my next trip to the US (or take a weekend in Korea)
Not covered by insurance in most cases and you need to pay up front. I think it was around 50,000 yen for mine. It’s a bigger cost than the pill up front, but cheaper over time.
You will likely be asked to go back periodically to check on the position, so pick a clinic you like and is relatively easy to get to.
Mirena seems to be the most common IUD.
I visited two doctors who said that they wouldn’t insert IUDs if you haven’t had children. (This was in Tohoku, Sendai specifically) so I assume you’d have better luck with clinics in larger cities who are perhaps more able to serve international clients.
I came here with an IUD (Mirena) and eventually had to get it replaced at a clinic in Nagoya.
I can’t really comment on the cost of getting your first ever IUD, but I’ve heard a lot of people comment on having to pay several 万 out of pocket and even having push back from more conservative doctors if they were unmarried/childless.
However, since I was getting a replacement IUD, the procedure was deemed medically necessary and I only had to pay about 9000円 out of pocket. I wasn’t asked any invasive questions about my personal life nor was I subjected to any lecturing by the doctor.
My advice: assume that your pain management is completely your own responsibility. When I got my first IUD in the US, I was given a double dose of extra strength ibuprofen and about 45 minutes of chill time for them to kick in before my IUD was inserted. My second IUD, I had a feeling that a Japanese doctor might not be too preoccupied with my comfort and BOY was I ever right. I prepped myself with a normal dose of Midol before my appointment and was in so much pain after the procedure that I don’t even remember how I got myself home.
IUD insertion tends to be timed with your period, but what day of your period can vary by doctor and sometimes just going in for a consultation can result in you getting the procedure that day.
Make sure you bring some extra strength pain meds with you to your appointment. Take a dose (or double it if the instructions say it’s safe) around 30-45 minutes BEFORE the insertion. If you’re caught off guard and end up getting fast tracked to an IUD insertion, take the pain meds as soon as possible and pray that they kick in in time.
A final word of caution: hormonal IUDs can cause a ton of bodily changes that range from awesome to awful. I love mine but it’s not without its challenges.
Best of luck! Feel free to ask any questions
Mirena, it cost me like 20,000. I accidentally finger banged one out of myself so kinda like watch for that
To be fair I hadn’t felt the strings before so it was my bad.
It hurts going in and that made me have the liquid poops pretty quick so might want to stay by a toilet.
I’m quite happy with it. I very rarely bleed with it which is great since I that’s what I was worried about it (I never took placebos with the pill so I never bled)
I got Mirena for ¥8000 using insurance to regulate my cycle. It was the worst experience in my life, the insertion was awful and I bled for 6 months straight being on it (to the point I had to get injections three times a week for anemia). Be warned that if something goes wrong, the doctors might discount your pain or brush you off. The doctor who did my insertion wouldn’t take it out thinking I was just being dramatic and I had it removed when I finally got a hysterectomy a few months later.
If a doctor won’t do it, find another. And always advocate for yourself, and if something doesn’t feel right, don’t just suffer because they want you to 我慢
My brain read that as DUI the first time I looked at the post
If you are in Tokyo, I went to Sanno hospital to get my expired one changed three years ago. They specified multiple times that it wasn’t covered, but then the bill was 10.000¥ altogether. Back home I would have had to spend at least 500/1000€ so that was a bargain in my books.
Both the receptionists and the doctor spoke English and were extremely helpful. I’d recommend it