Newly Approved Use for the LNG-IUS

The FDA has approved the levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS; Mirena) for treating heavy menstrual bleeding in women who also use the device for pregnancy prevention. In a news release, the FDA cited a manufacturer-sponsored study (recently published as an abstract) showing that, compared with medroxyprogesterone acetate, the LNG-IUS was associated with statistically significant reductions in menstrual-blood loss in parous women whose excessive bleeding did not have clear etiologies (except for small uterine fibroids in some cases).