Johanna, 28, IUD and emergency contraception

Johanna turned her need for emergency contraception into a long-term plan. Instead of going with the EC pill, which may be less effective if you’re above a certain weight, she chose to get a Paragard IUD. Big bonus: The non-hormonal IUD is the most effective form of EC if it’s inserted within 5 days of unprotected sex.

The non-hormonal IUD was also right for Johanna in other ways. Would she still get her period? Yup. Could she check that her method was still in place? Sure, by feeling for the IUD’s strings. At first, her periods got heavier and PMS more complicated, but those side effects are leveling out with time.