The hormone used is the same as that found in the already-approved Progestasert IUD, but unlike Mirena, it must be replaced annually. Another IUD on the American market, the ParaGard Copper T 380A, contains copper and can be left in place for 10 years. Some ParaGard users notice an increase in the heaviness of their menstrual bleeding. Insertion or removal of Mirena requires a short procedure that can be done at a doctor's office. In the first three to six months of use, women may notice some bleeding between periods, but eventually, women may notice that their period becomes shorter and lighter.
Some women actually stop menstruating about a year after insertion.
However, once the device is removed, fertility returns almost immediately, and roughly 80 percent of women attempting to conceive will do so within a year of removing Mirena, says research. Mirena can produce side effects, such as acne, back pain, breast tenderness, headaches, mood changes and nausea. These were most common immediately after insertion but later subsided. Doctors also recommend that women not get an IUD until after they've had a child, since untreated infections linked to IUDs can, in rare cases, lead to infertility. Dr. Mitchell Creinin, the director of Family Planning and Family Planning Research at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pa., thinks it's about time that American women have a chance to try Mirena.