i have it and i like it for the most part!
it was not painful to put in, just a little more pressure than a regular pap exam.
its working GREAT! best part, i actually trust it (unlike the pill) and my husband likes that he doesnt have to wear condoms. its anytime, anywhere sex. its awesome.
they do need to take into consideration your medical history. so make sure to have the talk with your doctor before you get it. you might have to make an appointment, then think about it, and make another to have it placed.
basically, its just like a pap; they put it in with a long stick i think LOL i dont remember, but it wasnt horrible. back in the 80s when my mom had one (it was the copper one i think) she threw up the minute they placed it, so they removed it. i had NO symptoms of anything when they placed it.
at first, i was spotting a lot. it wasnt enough to soak through my pants or anything, but it was annoying for a while. 3 months i want to say it was like spotting all the time, a couple days off in between... but it was immediate that "periods" were lighter, less painful, and shorter. keep light pads on you for a while though until your body adjusts and quits spotting.
then after that the only thing i have had is some cysts, which are common and normal and not harmful. however, i have had a few times where the pain was like excruciating, like i had the worst gas cramps of my life. one day it "put me out" where i was literally lying on the floor in pain. lasted a couple hours, then everything was fine. i guess the cysts can burst, though i havent talked to my doctor about them, i did get checked out with an ultrasound and it was just a cyst. i was worried it was eptopic pregnancy or something - which can happen with the IUD. but its rare.
anyway, as long as you can keep in tune with your body, keep in touch with your doctor when you have problems, i have no worries. i havent had a period in forever. and its so nice. i definatly recommend them.
OH! one thing; you are supposed to check monthly for the little string. reach up in there and make sure its still around. they did cut mine pretty short, and my husband complained for a while that it would stab him. poor guy! but eventually, it got 'sucked' up into the uterus, and my doc said he would just check it with an ultrasound every time we had a pap done because he could then make sure that it was still in there (like i wouldnt notice it coming out? LOL)
but anyway, yeah. write me with any ?s.