New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/22/2013 -- The Mirena IUD Information Center has commissioned and published an infographic to educate the public about the advantages, risks and side effects of using the intrauterine birth control device known as the Mirena IUD

The infographic—viewable at http://www.mirena-iud.net/mirena-iud-an-fda-approved-intrauterine-birth-control-device/ —clearly illustrates how the Mirena IUD prevents conception, and what a woman using the device can expect while she is using the device and after she has discontinued its use. The infographic also lists the Mirena side effects a woman using the IUD should watch out for, and answers questions commonly asked about the device’s removal.

The Mirena IUD, which is manufactured by Bayer AG and was approved by the FDA in 2000, is a “hormonal IUD,” meaning it releases roughly 20 mcg per day of levonorgestrel (the hormone progestogen) while it is in place. The progestogen further reduces the likelihood of pregnancy above the benefits of non-hormonal IUDs, and it can even reduce heavy menstrual bleeding, a condition for which the FDA gave Bayer permission to sell the Mirena IUD in 2009. About two million women in the United States now use Mirena IUDs, according to Bloomberg.

The Mirena carries with it some potentially serious side effects, including device perforation (puncture of the uterine wall), migration (the shifting of the device to outside of the woman’s uterus), and embedment (the device becomes stuck in the uterine wall). The product information for the Mirena IUD also indicates that, if a woman becomes pregnant when using the device, her offspring might be at risk of sustaining Mirena IUD birth defects.

In 2009, Bayer encountered pushback from the FDA for its Mirena IUD marketing strategy, which included advertising the device as appropriate for “busy moms,” and using a social networking web site called “Mom Central” to organize Mirena IUD parties either at people’s homes or at restaurants. At the parties, a representative from Mom Central and a nurse practitioner would together explain the benefits of using a Mirena IUD, using scripted language that suggested a Mirena IUD would improve a woman’s intimacy and romance with their partners, as well as make them “look and feel great.”

About the Mirena IUD Information Center
The Mirena IUD Information Center provides comprehensive information on the Mirena birth control IUD (intrauterine device).