I have had awful cramps ever since puberty. My first period was so painful that when I got my menstrual cramps that preceded the bleeding, my dad was so concerned by my pain that he took me to the hospital.

Since then I have had to miss work multiple times to take baths or lie down with a heating pad in order to manage the pain. The pain was literally blinding at times. I got used to dedicating parts of my starting salary paycheck to pain medication and portable heating pads.

After the Affordable Care Act passed, my doctor suggested I get the Mirena IUD, which is especially good for people with severe menstrual cramps. Before the ACA, I would not have been able to afford the IUD, and I was not on other birth control because of the cost.

Since I got my IUD, I no longer get any cramps, or even my period. I cannot even express how much more liberated and free I feel. I no longer have to worry about carrying around strong pain medication in case my period hits, or whether I should work through the pain or take a limited sick day. I do not exaggerate when I say my IUD has changed my life. I am terrified that the ACA will be repealed, and I will not be able to afford or will not be able to access a new IUD when I need to get it replaced in two years.