Hormonal intrauterine device

Want long-term contraception? There are more effective options than the pill. But they can be hard to find

Retrieved on:

Thursday, June 1, 2023

Australians’ access to a range of contraceptive options depends on where they live and how wealthy they are.

Key Points:

Australians’ access to a range of contraceptive options depends on where they live and how wealthy they are.
A recent parliamentary inquiry recommends ways to end this “postcode lottery” for people who want to use long-acting reversible contraception.
There are several types of long-acting reversible contraception: the hormonal contraceptive implant, the hormonal intrauterine devices (IUD) and copper IUDs.

How do they work?

It releases a progestogen hormone which prevents monthly egg release from the ovary for up to three years.
IUDs are small T-shaped devices which are inserted into the uterus.
Hormonal IUDs contain a progestogen hormone and mainly work by thickening the cervical mucus and preventing sperm from swimming up into the uterus.

They have additional benefits for some users

As well as better protection from pregnancy, some long-acting reversible contraception methods have other benefits.
The hormonal IUD, Mirena, for example, reduces heavy menstrual bleeding.
This includes people with hormone-driven cancers such as breast cancer, for whom any hormonal contraceptive would be considered unsafe.

Why aren’t they more available?

Out-of-pocket IUD insertion-related costs can also vary from zero to hundreds of dollars if people don’t have access to publicly funded services.
Here’s what to expect
On the supply side, too few health professionals provide these essential services.
There are multiple successful models of nurse-led long-acting reversible contraception services and postpartum insertion of implants by midwifes nationally and internationally.
However, most nurses aren’t able to access Medicare remuneration, which creates additional barriers for this highly skilled workforce to provide these services.

What are the recommendations for reform?

The Senate inquiry has recognised these barriers and recommends making contraception universally affordable, and specifically, subsidising copper IUDs.
It also recommends adequate remuneration through Medicare for GPs, nurses and midwives to provide long-acting reversible contraception insertion and removal, and collaborative efforts between the government and medical colleges to improve access to workforce training.
While the recommendations are welcome, they now need to be turned into actions through adequate funding.

Adenomyosis: from symptoms to treatment, two women's health experts explain this little known condition

Retrieved on:

Saturday, May 27, 2023

Yet many people have never heard of this condition, despite it affecting as many as one in five women.

Key Points:

Yet many people have never heard of this condition, despite it affecting as many as one in five women.
The severity of symptoms varies between patients – up to one-third of women with adenomyosis may have minimal or no symptoms at all.
Women with adenomyosis who do become pregnant have an increased risk of miscarriage, pre-term delivery, pre-eclampsia and bleeding after delivery.

What causes adenomyosis?

In people with adenomyosis, endometrium-like cells are found in the wrong place – the myometrium.
Although a large number of women with adenomyosis have endometriosis as well, adenomyosis is a distinct disease from endometriosis.
Read more:
Adenomyosis causes pain, heavy periods and infertility but you've probably never heard of it

Diagnosis options are changing and improving

Recent years have seen increased diagnoses with the development of imaging technologies such as MRI and detailed pelvic ultrasound.
Although adenomyosis is now commonly identified without the need for a hysterectomy, doctors are still working towards developing a standardised method for non-surgical diagnosis.

Adenomyosis is a complex condition

Adenomyosis can be further classified depending on the depth of endometrial-like tissue invasion into the myometrium.
We don’t yet understand why some women develop adenomyosis, though evidence shows there is an increasing prevalence with age.
It’s possible that a variety of mechanisms may contribute, and that there is not one common disease-causing factor behind adenomyosis.

How is adenomyosis treated?

Treatments that work for some women don’t for others, adding weight to the argument that there’s more than one type of adenomyosis.
Treatment strategies should be tailored to patients, depending on their fertility wishes and symptoms.
If medical treatments are not providing adequate relief from symptoms, there are surgical options, namely removal of the focal lesions or a hysterectomy.

What lies ahead?

There is also a lack of knowledge and awareness around adenomyosis among many healthcare professionals and the public.
This needs to change so we can improve our understanding of the condition, diagnosis and treatment options.

Bayer launches Seeing Red campaign around the treatment of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding (HMB)

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Seeing Red encourages women across America to talk to their healthcare provider about their heavy periods and discuss if Mirena could be right for them.

Key Points:

Seeing Red encourages women across America to talk to their healthcare provider about their heavy periods and discuss if Mirena could be right for them.
Symptoms may include needing to double up on pads or having to change pads or tampons during the night.
Through our Seeing Red campaign, we want to elevate the importance of effective contraception and a potential treatment option for heavy menstrual bleeding.”
The Seeing Red campaign is a national, multi-channel media campaign featuring a commercial shedding light on a contraceptive and HMB treatment option, partnerships with healthcare provider and patient influencers, and social and digital content with Betches Media.
To learn more about the campaign and about a birth control that may also help with HMB, visit Mirena.com .

Emergency contraception is often confused with abortion pills – here's how Plan B and other generic versions work to prevent pregnancy

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Attempting to control inventory, Amazon, Rite Aid and Walmart have imposed purchase limits on the emergency contraception known as Plan B since the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Key Points:

Attempting to control inventory, Amazon, Rite Aid and Walmart have imposed purchase limits on the emergency contraception known as Plan B since the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Several legislators and proposed bills have conflated emergency contraception with abortion and are trying to limit access to it.
As a researcher of women’s sexual and reproductive health and decision-making, I have extensively researched access to emergency contraception.

What is emergency contraception?

Emergency contraception can take the form of pills – sometimes called the morning-after pill – or an intrauterine device, or IUD that delays ovulation.
There are two types of emergency contraception pills.
The second type of emergency contraception pill is ulipristal acetate, which is sold under the brand name ella.
Both Paragard and Mirena IUDs have been approved by the FDA for use as contraception, but they are not yet approved specifically for use as emergency contraception.

How is emergency contraception different from the abortion pill?

There has been confusion about whether emergency contraception is an abortifacient – that is, a medication that triggers an abortion.
The key difference is that the abortion pill works only when a woman is pregnant, and emergency contraception works only when she is not.
The so-called abortion pill is used for a medication abortion and actually consists of two separate pills that do different things.

How do abortion restrictions jeopardize emergency contraception?

With the increase in abortion restrictions, access to a full range of contraceptive options – including emergency contraception – is more critical than ever.
There are already numerous barriers to obtaining emergency contraception in a timely manner.
The most effective types of emergency contraception, ulipristal acetate and both hormonal and nonhormonal IUDs, must be obtained from a health care provider.
People also encounter high rates of misinformation about when to take levonorgestrel for maximum effectiveness and about sales restrictions.

What are the benefits of emergency contraception?

Access to emergency contraception promotes women’s health in several ways.
Nearly half of pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended, and emergency contraception can prevent about 95% of unwanted or mistimed pregnancies when used within five days of sex.
Overall, access to a full range of contraceptive options – including emergency contraception – gives women greater control over their reproductive choices.