"i had a copper iud for 9.5 years, inserted after birth of first (and only) child. it was the best birth control experience i ever had. i did not have pain to speak of on insertion--i got it inserted and drove myself home and felt fine. (it might be more painful if you&#039;ve never had a child.) i really liked never having to remember to take a pill, or do anything, and i felt my libido was better on the copper iud than on bcp. i did have heavy period, like 5 days of solid bleeding, but no cramping or pain. i just replaced it with a mirena, as i am older now (46) and have a fibroid so i want to cut down on the heavy flow. but i had a very positive experience with the copper iud and liked being hormone-free after many years on the pill."