Frequently Asked Questions

• 99.9% effective in preventing pregnancy for up to 5 years (or less, if you choose)¹
• Provides lower and steadier hormones than the Pill
• Won’t cause significant weight gain²
• Easily removed with quick return to fertility¹
• May also help shorten, lighten, or even eliminate periods³

1. Studies show your chances of getting pregnant after Mirena is removed are similar to women who had not been using any form of birth control.
2. No effect on weight seen in larger studies with >5-year follow-up (Luukkainen T, Lahteenmaki P,Toivonen J. Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device. Ann Med. 1990;22:85-90)
3. In fact, by one year of use, there may be up to a 90% reduction in menstrual bleeding, and 20% of Mirena users had no bleeding or spotting at all.

• Block sperm from reaching or fertilizing your egg
• Make the lining of your uterus thin (this may also result in benefits like less menstrual bleeding over time)
• Stop the release of your egg from your ovary (but this may not be the way it works in most cases)

• No pill to take every day or worry about forgetting
• No fumbling with condoms
• No rings to remember to change
• No peeling patches

1. Your healthcare professional may advise you to periodically check yourself once Mirena is placed.

Adapted from Trussel J. The essentials of contraception: efficacy, safety, and personal consideration, and Trussell J. Contraceptive efficacy. In: Hatcher RA, Trussel J, Stewart F, et al. Contraceptive Technology, 18th ed. New York, NY: Ardent Media; 2004:773-845. Slight adaptations from CT table.

• If you are currently pregnant or just had a baby and want to explore birth control options for new moms
• If you are still planning your family and are unsure if you want more children, but are seeking hassle-free birth control
• If you don’t think you want any more children, but also don’t want the permanence of sterilization

• 99.9% effective in preventing pregnancy¹
• FDA-approved
• Used successfully over the past 16 years by over 8 million women around the world, and available in the United States since 2001
• 9 out of 10 women who use Mirena would recommend it to their friends

1. Studies show a woman’s chances of getting pregnant after Mirena is removed are similar to women who had not been using any form of birth control.

1. Studies show your chances of getting pregnant after Mirena is removed are similar to women who had not been using any form of birth control.

1. No effect on weight seen in larger studies with >5-year follow-up (Luukkainen T, Lahteenmaki P,Toivonen J. Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device. Ann Med. 1990;22:85-90).

1. Mirena is cost-effective after just one year.
2. Studies show a woman’s chances of getting pregnant after Mirena is removed are similar to women who had not been using any form of birth control.

• Clean your vagina and cervix with an antiseptic solution
• Insert a thin tube of flexible plastic (the inserter) containing Mirena into your vagina and then into your uterus
• Check to make sure Mirena is positioned correctly
• Withdraw the plastic inserter, leaving Mirena in your uterus
• Trim the removal threads to the proper length

• Every month, the lining of the uterus thickens during the first half of your menstrual cycle
• The lining is shed as menstrual flow
• On average, a woman’s menstrual flow lasts 3 to 4 days. It may last shorter or longer, depending on the woman

• The levonorgestrel in Mirena reduces the monthly thickening of the lining of your uterus
• Less thickening means less menstrual flow
• Eventually your menstrual flow may stop completely
• Once Mirena is removed, your menstrual cycle will return to the way it was before you used Mirena

• Menstrual changes
• Lower abdominal pain (cramps)
• Acne or other skin problems
• Back pain
• Breast tenderness
• Headache
• Mood changes
• Nausea
• Ovarian cysts have been diagnosed in about 12% of Mirena users. In most cases, the enlarged follicles disappeared spontaneously during two to three months of observation.

Percentage of women reporting side effects during the first 3 months and fifth year of use.

• Mirena going through (perforating) the uterus, which may require surgery
• Mirena coming out by itself (expulsion), which can lead to unwanted pregnancy; if this happens, use back-up birth control, such as a condom, and call your healthcare professional

• Have had at least one child
• Are looking for an effective, reversible form of birth control that’s easy to use
• Are in a mutually monogamous relationship

• Think they may be pregnant
• Have ever had pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
• Have had a serious pelvic infection in the past three months following pregnancy
• Currently have an untreated pelvic infection
• Have more than one sexual partner, or a sexual partner who has more than one sexual partner
• Get infections easily, including women with immune-system problems, leukemia, AIDS, or who abuse intravenous drugs
• Might have cancer of the uterus or cervix
• Have unexplained bleeding from the uterus
• Have liver disease or a liver tumor
• Have or have ever had breast cancer
• Have had, or are at risk of having, an ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy occurring elsewhere other than the womb)
• Are already using an intrauterine device
• Have a condition that changes the shape of the uterus, such as large fibroid or tumor
• Are allergic to levonorgestrel, silicone or polyethylene