"i&#039;ve had the paragard for 3.5 years. it&#039;s great for women who want/need a hormone free birth control.  it is pretty expensive if your insurance doesn&#039;t cover it, so i&#039;m sure that&#039;s a major factor for a lot of women. if i didn&#039;t want to be hormone free, i think the mirena would be better for me. insertion was painful...don&#039;t make any plans the rest of the day and have someone nearby to whine to and do stuff for you. and ibuprofen is necessary when i&#039;m cramping from my period/ovulation. but it&#039;s worth it for me and i&#039;d recommend it."