A woman's inventive artwork made from her old contraceptive device has divided opinion online.
On Wednesday Reddit user WeiWeiSmoo shared the picture of her DIY art with the caption: "My husband isn't thrilled about the new decor."
With over 49,000 upvotes, the picture shows a framed intrauterine device (IUD) with the words: "In loving memory, 2015–2022. 7 years of valiant service to my cervix. This brave little soldier has gotten me through many bad mistakes. R.I.P little buddy."
WeiWeiSmoo told Newsweek: "I'm the kind of person who forms attachments to things even if they're small and silly. So while it may be gross and silly to many, it is important for me. I think it's important to celebrate women's sexual health and stop treating it like such a taboo topic."
According to data analyzed by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 14 percent of women aged 15 to 44 who use contraception used an IUD in 2015–2017, with utilization among all women, but especially younger women, rising.
An IUD is a small T-shaped plastic or copper device inserted into the womb by a doctor or nurse to prevent pregnancy by not allowing the sperm to fertilize the egg. A popular form of long-term contraception that usually lasts between 5 and 10 years, the cost of IUDs has been a barrier for use in the past.
Prices for an IUD typically range from between $500 and $1,300, in addition to the cost of insertion, removal and confirmation that the device is properly placed. While many insurance plans will cover IUDs, users were still frequently left out of pocket due to charges for the product before the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 which has eliminated these costs for many women.
The woman's light-hearted joke about her IUD has split opinion online, with thousands of comments on the post that was shared on the popular forum r/Pics.
One commenter joked: "It should salute you and say; 'at your cervix!'," while another wrote: "I got mine removed at the end of its life on Monday. My obstetrician let me see it and I told it 'thank you for protecting me, little buddy.' The nurse laughed and said that's the first time she's heard that—glad I'm not the only one."
Another Redditor said that she had also framed her old IUD: "I did the same thing. My husband thinks it's hilarious, though. And so did my midwives when they showed up for my son's birth."
But other users didn't see the funny side of the woman's new decor. One commenter wrote: "I'm sure your husband loves being reminded of your 'many bad mistakes' every time he sees this. This should be posted in r/trashy."
"My husband was initially surprised at seeing a framed IUD on the wall," explained WeiWeiSmoo: "But after that passed he laughed about it. He did ask that it be taken down when his parents come over which is totally fair! Many commenters feel as though I am disrespecting him because it's a symbol of my past lovers. My husband didn't even consider that, he's well aware of my past and he genuinely does not care."
Another user said: "Imagine walking into someone's house and seeing this," while another Redditor slammed the poster and said: "I don't get how you're proud of this or find it funny, this is disgusting and super trashy."
"I understand it's not everyone's cup of tea but the pure vitriol I've received from some commenters has been pretty intense.... All over a framed IUD," said WeiWeiSmoo.
"It does make me a little bit sad when I see the blatant misogyny in the comments. It's sad to me that people are so capable of being judgmental and hurtful towards something pretty harmless and innocent, and I suspect a big reason for it is because I'm a woman who is taking ownership of her sexuality and sexual health."
Update 03/18/22 at 03:15 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include an image and comment from the original poster.
