So I'm 16 and about to head off to college and I really want to go on some form of birth control just to have an additional protection other than condoms. I do not want a hormonal birth control so I think the ParaGard copper IUD could be the best option for me and I've spoken to my mom about it already and she's on board as long as our insurance covers it. I'm just concerned about the pain and how long this might last, some have told me the pain only lasted a few weeks and others have said months. I've also heard some say their sex drives went down and even that the sex was painful. I'm not too concerned about having painful periods because I use a cup and this made my cramps that I had when I used tampons basically disappear. If anyone could let me know of their personal experiences and thoughts on copper IUDs it would be very appreciated.