Doctors given green light to replace hormonal IUD after eight years
Professor Danielle Mazza says its extended life span could encourage uptake.
The 52mg levonorgestrel-releasing IUD Mirena can now be replaced every eight years instead of every five, making it the longest-lasting hormonal contraceptive available to Australian women.
On Monday, the TGA approved the extended life span for Mirena for use in contraception but left the duration of use for treating idiopathic menorrhagia or preventing endometrial hyperplasia unchanged.
GP academic Professor Danielle Mazza, from Monash University in Melbourne, hoped the development would encourage more women to consider long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs).
“It brings Australia into line with the US and the UK,” she told AusDoc.
