What does Mirena mean for you?
For many women, Mirena may mean convenience and flexible family planning because it provides birth control that lasts for as long as you want, for up to 5 years. If you have heavy periods and want an IUD for birth control, Mirena has been proven to reduce heavy periods in women who choose intrauterine contraception.
As the chart shows, when choosing birth control, generally the more you have to do, the less effective the option. Of course, Mirena isn't right for everyone, so review this list of questions and have a conversation with your healthcare provider.
Convenient birth control
Mirena is birth control you don't have to think about every day or even every year. Once it's placed, check the threads of Mirena once a month to make sure it's in the correct position. Your healthcare provider can show you how.
And if you're used to using tampons, you don't have to give them up. When removing a tampon, just be careful not to pull the threads of Mirena.
Birth control that gives you flexibility to change your mind
Birth control should give you options if you're not sure you want more children. With Mirena, you get both efficacy and flexibility. Mirena lasts for as long as you want, for up to 5 years and can be removed by your healthcare provider at any time, so you can try to get pregnant right away. Within a year of having Mirena removed, about 8 out of 10 women succeed at becoming pregnant.
Mirena isn't for everyone
Only you and your healthcare provider can decide if Mirena is right for you. As the two of you discuss your options, there are a number of things you should share—like your general health, current or past health conditions, sexual history and the possibility that you'd like to have more children in the future.
Mirena may be a good choice if you already have at least one child and
- You want to have more children...someday
- You're happy with the size of your family
- You're not sure if you want more children
- You recently had a baby (6 weeks ago or more) and you're looking for birth control that fits your needs. Mirena should not be placed earlier than 6 weeks after you give birth or as directed by your healthcare provider
- If you are breastfeeding and plan to continue breastfeeding after Mirena is placed—be sure to tell your healthcare provider
Mirena isn't appropriate for you if you:
- Might be pregnant
- Have had a serious pelvic infection called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) unless you have had a normal pregnancy after the infection went away
- Have an untreated pelvic infection now
- Have had a serious pelvic infection in the past 3 months after a pregnancy
- Can get infections easily. For example, if you have
- More than one sexual partner or your partner has more than one partner
- Problems with your immune system
- Intravenous drug abuse
- Have or suspect you might have cancer of the uterus or cervix
- Have bleeding from the vagina that has not been explained
- Have liver disease or a liver tumor
- Have breast cancer now or in the past or suspect you have breast cancer
- Have an intrauterine device in your uterus already
- Have a condition of the uterus that changes the shape of the uterine cavity, such as large fibroid tumors
- Are allergic to levonorgestrel, silicone or polyethylene
Heavy periods? Mirena may help.
If you have difficulty with heavy periods, choosing Mirena may help. It's the only IUD approved by the FDA to treat heavy periods in women who choose an IUD for birth control.
Proven effective to significantly reduce heavy periods
In a clinical trial of women with heavy periods who were using Mirena, a majority of participants saw:
- An 80% reduction in bleeding at 3 months
- A 90% reduction in bleeding at 6 months
