"i got mirena about 9 months ago, and am so pleased with it. i am 23 years old and have never had children. the doctor told me this might make insertion more painful, but he decided to try something. he gave me a pill normally used for people with stomach ulcers (sorry, i can&#039;t remember the  name of the drug), which had the side effect of softening the cervix. the insertion was not bad at all. it hurt, yes, but not as badly as i&#039;ve heard from other women who got an iud before having children. now, my period is much lighter, my sex life is even better than before because i don&#039;t feel worried about pregnancy. also, it was cost effective. i have health insurance and so it cost about the same amount as 3 months ortho tri-cyclen and it&#039;s good for 5 years."