My strings dissapeared as soon as mine was put in. I knew it was there because I never had a period. It was a real pain in the butt to get mine out. It hurt like hell. They had to dilate my cervix and use a special tool while performing an ultrasound. It hurt soo bad but was well worth it to get that evil thing out. I have gained 40 lbs in the past 5 years that I had it. I also was depressed, had a low libido, acne, and lower back pain.