This hormone is a progestin much like the progesterone a woman's ovaries produce each monthly cycle. Each week the Levonorgestrel IUD gives off about the same amount of levonorgestrel as a woman gets when she takes one or two of the minipills called Ovrette. The levonorgestrel causes the cervical mucus to become thicker so sperm cannot reach the egg. Among typical couples who use this IUD, one in 1,000 will experience an accidental pregnancy in the first year. It is the most effective reversible method ever developed.
Some women experience an absence of menstrual bleeding after one year.
IUDs are safe, inexpensive over time, and provide extremely effective long-term contraception from a single decision. One of the costs of any contraceptive is the cost to you should your contraceptive fail. Given the extremely low failure rate of Mirena, a person using this method is far less likely to have the emotional and financial expenses associated with an unintended pregnancy. All you have to do is check for the strings each month. May be used by postmenopausal women on estrogen therapy to protect the endometrium against endometrial cancer.