Acceptability of the levonorgestrel intrauterine system in the long-term treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding: how many women choose to use a second device?

Objective: To assess the acceptability of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS, Mirena®) in the long-term treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding.

Study Design: Retrospective study of all consecutive women who had a LNG-IUS inserted for control of idiopathic heavy menstrual bleeding between January 2000 and December 2003. Duration of use, reasons for early removal, number of devices removed after 5 years of use, and number of women who decided to use a second LNG-IUS were assessed.