Mirena: Birth Control For Up to 5 Years

FitSugar — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 17:15:00 -0700

The Mirena is a type of IUD, that is placed inside your uterus (by a doctor or nurse practitioner) to prevent pregnancy for up to 5 years. It's a T-shaped piece of plastic that emits hormones into your uterus directly, so it is considered an IUC (intrauterine contraceptive) or an IUS (intrauterine system). The hormones stay in the uterus and are not systemic, meaning they do not go to other parts of your body. This is why it won't cause significant weight gain like oral contraceptives sometimes do or increase breast tenderness. Another bonus is that the Mirena might also shorten, lighten, or even eliminate periods while you use it.

OK, but how does Mirena work? The small amounts of levonorgestrel (hormones) released by Mirena make your cervical mucus thick and tacky so sperm can't swim through it so it is difficult for them to make it to your uterus. If the sperm get in, then they can't make it to the egg to fertilize it.

Another way the Mirena, or IUDs in general, prevent pregnancy is it promote the production of white blood cells. When a foreign object is placed inside the uterus, the body creates white blood cells to defend itself. So when you have sex, if sperm do make it through your tacky mucus to your uterus, the white blood cells will attack them. Even if a sperm does fertilize the egg, the white blood cells will destroy that too.

Interested in how effective it is? To see the stats, just read more
Mirena is 99.9% effective at preventing pregnancy and like metal IUDs, it needs to be fitted and removed by a medical professional. Though once it's in place, that's it. You won't need to use any other form of birth control or even think about it.

Fit's Tips: Mirena is great if you are looking for hassle-free birth control for up to 5 years straight. Just a reminder, it DOES NOT prevent against STDs, so that's why it's great to use if you are in a long-term relationship with someone you know is disease-free.

It's also a great option if you've already had kids and aren't planning on having anymore, or if you know it's going to be many years before you want to start a family. If this interests you, ask you doctor about Mirena. Some doctors recommend against the using the IUD if you have not had children for they are more difficult to insert if you haven't had children.

Are Occasional Breaks From the Pill Necessary?

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:50:05 -0700

Almost every woman I know has been on the pill at some point in her life, and many of us started when we were under 20 years old. It has many health benefits, such as preventing unwanted pregnancies, decreasing the risk of ovarian cancer, and alleviating PMS symptoms. The one big negative about the pill is that statistics show being on it for longer than 10 years puts you at a higher risk for breast cancer. Women may also be worried that taking hormones for so long may affect their chances of having a baby in the future. So does it make sense to take regular vacations from the pill to give your body some hormone-free time?

To find out if this is a good idea, read more.

While it's common to think that taking occasional breaks from the pill is beneficial for your body, it's actually not necessary. It's a myth that may have started a while back, since the very first birth control pills contained high doses of hormones. Today's pills contain a much lower amount so they're completely safe to take for years at a time. Doctors actually think it's healthier for your body to remain on the pill. The fluctuations in hormones can have a negative effect on your body, both physically and emotionally. Plus, all the symptoms you experienced when you first started the pill such as moodiness, sore breasts, or yeast infections may show up again.

What about your fertility? You may be worried that staying on the pill continuously for many years will make it harder to get pregnant when you decide to start a family. There's no evidence that being on the pill has any effect on a woman's future ability to conceive - it merely prevents pregnancy while a woman is on it. In fact, regularly going on and off the pill may increase your chances of having an unplanned pregnancy since your protection isn't consistent.

Most importantly, if you've been on the pill forever, you'll be happy to know that as soon as you go off it your risk for developing breast cancer begins to go back to normal over time. If you're worried about your risk, or the whole idea of putting hormones in your body doesn't sit well with you, talk to your doctor about hormone-free alternatives such as the ParaGard IUC. A permanent vacation from the pill might be the better option, as opposed to a break.