LowViz - not sure why IUD caused pain for your wife... I've had several since 1990. Love it! No problems. Current versions are good up to 10 years. Did not have children before. While conventional wisdom was to wait until after kids, there are docs who will insert before. (Actually I didn't want children so future fertility issues were a nonissue.) I was also young - about 23 or 24 - but I did my research, felt confident in my decision, sat my obgyn down and discussed my case. At the end she agreed. Insertion is a bit painful, but a couple ibuprofen before and after take care of it. Cramping first couple months was the only side effect, but the intensity dimished as time went by. Potential issues include perforation of uterus, expulsion and fertility problems. I took the pill for probably 8 years before switching. Did not like the side effects of the pill - for me a serious loss of libido, and the potential longer term health issues. I truly think this is an underutilized option of birth control in the US, highly effective, low cost and you can't forget it! One caveat is you are supposed to be in a mongomous relationship.