Q: Are hormonal IUDs a good option for women in their 40s?
Dr. Gillian Goddard:
IUDs can be great.
In this case, we’re talking about progestin-eluting IUDs. So this is like Mirena, Kyleena, Skyla. They can do a bunch of different things.
Certainly they work great as contraception. We love that.
If you have heavy periods, which is more common as women get into their 40s, they can definitely help with that.
Some women don’t have periods at all while they’re on Mirena or Kyleena.
They can be used as a part of your hormone therapy. They can be the progestin component of your hormone therapy, which is very convenient.
Q: Does the hormone in an IUD stay localized?
Dr. Gillian Goddard:
The other thing that’s nice about IUDs is, in general, the progestin that is coming off of the IUD is really only acting locally within the uterus.
Now, there are some studies that suggest that some women have systemic symptoms from their IUD where they are getting a little bit of extra progesterone in the bloodstream, but it’s still lower than other hormonal forms of contraception.
And so for many women, it’s a great option.
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