"i got mine inserted november of 2013 and got it removed august of 2016. in terms of effectiveness, it was perfect. i checked my strings monthly and never had any pregnancy scares. the knowledge that i couldn&#039;t get pregnant was wonderful. i loved not having to worry about hormones, and i loved how easy it was on a day to day basis. 



the side effects were rough. i got multiple pelvic inflammatory diseases. my cervix was constantly sore and tender during sex. the first 8 months were bad in terms of cramping and random yeast and bacterial infections. there was a year where i was fine, and after that  i wound up getting it removed on the third year because i had 2 back to back boughts of pid during the summer. i wish there was a smaller option."