Keeping it Together: Why are women filming their doctor's visits?

These women went to the doctor for birth control and left in agonizing pain. It's a common problem.

Hello, I'm Alyssa, a wellness reporter here at Paste BN. This week, I looked into the updated CDC regulations for IUD insertions and whether they will provide adequate pain relief.

Before Mallory Tatman got her IUD, her doctor didn't lead her to believe that it would feel different than any other visit. But during the procedure, she felt like someone had "stabbed inside" of her. "It was the worst pain ever," she says.

And, she's not alone. Nicole Marpaung, 23, went viral for sharing a recording of her excruciatingly painful IUD procedure on TikTok, accumulating 6.5 million views. In her comment section, other people commiserated over how their IUD insertions had brought the worst pain of their lives. "They don't tell you how bad it is when you go to do it," one user wrote.

In August, the CDC released updated recommendations encouraging doctors to offer patients lidocaine and pain management tools during IUD insertions, but doesn't make it a requirement. Tatman says there's still a long way to go so no one has an experience like hers, but these videos are a good way to start the discussion.

Some people won't feel any pain with the procedure and others will, according to Dr. Franziska Haydanek, an OBGYN and online health educator. Haydanek says that pain control should be discussed with patients ahead of time so that they're given all of their options. However, Tatman and Marpaung want lidocaine to be required, not suggested, for every IUD procedure.

You can learn more about IUD insertions here and find these other fascinating reads from the week below.