Mirena – is a contraceptive intrauterine system that contains levonorgestrel, the active ingredient. This intrauterine system is inserted into the womb like any other contraceptive coil. After the insertion into the womb the levonorgestrel is released into the uterus. Levonorgestrel represents the female sex hormone progesterone, but in a synthetic form. This ingredient has the role to increase the thickness of the natural mucus from the neck of the uterus and this way the sperm gets difficult to get trough the vagina into the uterus to fertilize a egg and the pregnancy is very unlikely to appear.

The levonorgestrel has the fallowing roles also:
-to prevent the womb lining from thickening every month to receive the fertilized egg ( this way the fertilized egg, if the fertilization had taken place, are prevented to implant itself into the wall of the uterus.
-to prevent the release of an egg from the ovary.
This intrauterine system may be considered to have double contraceptive effect, in the first place because of the levonorgestrel the ingredient from its components and in the second place because of the device itself because it has the same role as a normal copper coils. The proper period to insert the mirena into the womb is the first five days of the menstrual cycle of the women. Mirena can be used for contraception, for idiophatic menorrhagia ( to women who present abundance or prolonged menstrual period), as a protection against overgrowth of the womb lining for women who take hormone replacement therapy after the menopause.

Before the mirena is inserted into the women’s womb, the women should have a detailed gynaecological examination ( in order to determine the size and position of the womb, if the woman isn’t pregnant, if she has infections or if she has sexually transmitted diseases) , breasts exam. After the implantation of the mirena the women should do another gynecological exam after 6 months. The insertion and removal of this contraceptive system can be painful and may cause bleeding and if those symptoms persist you may do a gynaecological examination, because the device might of perforated the wall of the womb. If you experience lower abdominal pain, recurrent pelvic infection or inflammation of the womb lining or a recurrence of the menstrual bleeding if your period had stopped you should consult the doctor or even have it removed.

Some women may get pregnant while having the mirena inserted in the womb and she will have to remove it. The mirena doesn’t protect sexual partners against sexually transmitted infections so the partners should use a condom also. The doctors don’t recommend the use of the mirena in fallowing cases:
-abnormalities of the womb;
-inflammation of the cervix;
-abnormal tissue in the cervix;
-vaginal bleeding from unknown causes;
-genital infections;
-pregnancy;
-disease of the arteries, stroke or heart attack;
-liver cancer
-leukaemias
-uterine fobroids
-uterine cancer
-cervical cancer
Mirena and cervical cancer are not compatible. Doctors don’t recommend the use of the mirena for women who are awaiting treatment for cervical cancer, who had cervical cancer or who have abnormalities in the womb or who have abnormal tissue in the cervix. Mirena is not recommended either to patient who have leukaemia, liver cancer, breast cancer, etc.