Lawsuits for Mirena issues continue

A women's choice of birth control should give her comfort in knowing that she has made the right decision to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. That's why it's so disturbing that so many women say they have experienced problems with the IUD Mirena.

In fact, court documents show the number of lawsuits by women who used Mirena filed against its maker, Bayer, in federal court alleging perforation injuries has continued to grow.

The T-shaped device is implanted in the uterus and releases hormones to prevent pregnancy. It was designed to remain in place for up to five years.

The Food and Drug Administration now says that more than 70,000 women have reported some kind of side effect associated with Mirena, and as many as 6,000 of them said that the IUD became dislodged and perforated their uterine wall after it was implanted.

Other serious side effects associated with Mirena include pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility and sepsis. Even though the FDA approved Mirena as a contraceptive device in 2000 and expanded its use for the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding in 2009, it warned Bayer that it was overstating the effects of Mirena, while minimizing its risks. By then, though, the pharmaceutical giant had launched a widespread advertising campaign touting the benefits of the IUD.

Following the campaign, Bayer finally issued a statement saying that it had received reports of uterine perforation associated with the use of Mirena.