When I was in my early twenties, a young single professional who was not currently sexually active, I started to notice some unusual bleeding. I’d had my period for about 10 years by that time and I knew how it normally worked, and this was not it. I called my OB/GYN’s office, scared. They had me come right in.

They took me seriously even after their first tests didn’t show anything unusual. Eventually it turned out that I had uterine polyps, unusual for someone my age, but benign and relatively simple to remove. While prepping for this removal, my OB/GYN took me through all of my options in such a way that I was absolutely the most informed I have ever been about any medical procedure. She suggested that she could combine procedures and insert a hormonal IUD to “keep things quiet” going forward, and patiently answered all of my questions about it. I was able to make an informed decision on what kind of anesthesia they would use during the procedure.

I did choose the IUD, and have never regretted it once

I did choose the IUD, and have never regretted it once (I’m on my second Mirena now, and it works very well for me). If I had not worked for a small company that provided an employer-funded health savings account I would have had a bill that would have decimated my meager savings. This was back in 2010, before the Affordable Care Act became law. I was just extremely lucky that I worked where I did.

If I had not worked for a small company that provided an employer-funded health savings account I would have had a bill that would have decimated my meager savings. This was back in 2010, before the Affordable Care Act became law. I was just extremely lucky that I worked where I did.