Doctors Now Offer Real Pain Relief for IUD Procedures

After years of women sharing painful IUD insertion stories online, doctors are finally stepping up with real solutions for pain management during gynecologic procedures.

Dr. Maryl Sackeim, an OB-GYN in San Francisco, represents a growing movement of physicians who now offer sedation, local anesthesia, and complete pain management options for IUD insertions and other procedures. This shift comes after decades of women's pain being dismissed or undertreated in medical settings.

The change is backed by new guidelines from major medical organizations. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released updated recommendations for pain management in office procedures, and the CDC issued 2024 guidance supporting pain relief for IUDs.

In Sackeim's practice, every patient undergoing an IUD procedure is offered sedation. While most decline, preferring to drive themselves home or return to work, simply knowing the option exists transforms the experience.

The new approach goes beyond medication. Doctors are implementing trauma-informed care, which means treating every patient as if they may carry past trauma and deserve gentleness and respect. This includes talking patients through every step, obtaining consent before each touch, and immediately stopping if requested.

Local anesthesia through gels, sprays, or injections is becoming standard conversation. Oral medications like anti-inflammatory drugs or anti-anxiety medications are offered alongside distraction techniques.

Why This Inspires

This transformation shows what happens when women's voices are finally heard. Social media posts and TikTok videos highlighting painful IUD experiences, while sometimes alarming to prospective patients, created necessary pressure for change.

The shift matters beyond comfort. IUDs are more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy and can profoundly change lives by allowing people to complete school, pursue careers, or leave unsafe relationships without pregnancy concerns. They can also end or significantly improve painful, heavy periods.

Sackeim, who has experienced many of these procedures herself as a patient, emphasizes that medical encounters should never retraumatize. Done right, they can actually heal past trauma rather than compound it.

The key is balance. Doctors bring medical expertise, but patients are experts on their own experiences. True informed consent means meaningful conversation between two knowledgeable parties, not just signing hospital forms.

This approach extends beyond IUDs to all gynecologic procedures, from pap smears to biopsies to surgeries. Every encounter can be grounded in patient-centered, trauma-informed care.

For patients with histories of traumatic healthcare interactions, Sackeim offers hope: don't turn away from healthcare, but turn toward it with questions, advocacy, and the search for trusted providers.

Medical care is finally catching up to what women have known all along: their pain is real, valid, and deserving of treatment.