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When the lidocaine was injected into her cervix, Leah Wells said it felt like fuzzy lightning traveling up her body. In addition to numbing her cervix, the medication made her mouth tingle, and she felt a little stoned. It was during that brief high that Wells’ gynecologist inserted an intrauterine device, or IUD.

In terms of contraception, an IUD is arguably second to none, as it is more than 99 percent effective. But getting one can come with a cost. While some patients report only mild cramping from an insertion, others describe a stabbing or searing pain that rivals childbirth.

These real-life tales of body horror had scared Wells off an IUD until this Januar

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