The Mirena IUD is a fairly new birth control device, approved by the FDA in 2000. Time and again, Mirena has come under fire for its many dangers. Not only does Mirena have the ability to prevent a developing baby from attaching to her mother’s womb, but it also poses significant health risks to women themselves.
On July 6, 22-year-old Samantha Yoakum shared her terrifying story about the Mirena IUD on Facebook. As of July 13, Samantha’s post has been shared over 1,000,000 times – many of them serving to warn other women of the dangers Mirena and similar birth control could present to them.
Samantha posted this diagram, along with her personal story:
Samantha wrote:
UPDATED 7/9/2015 I want everyone to share this please. My husband wanted me to share this story to possibly save the next young girl that decides to get this nasty thing! On March 29, 2015 6 weeks after giving birth to my daughter, I was pushed into getting the mirena birth control (iud) bc it helps control bleeding (I have a blood disorder Von Willabrands Disease) & it’s good for 5 years! After getting it I had Viginal bleeding, hair loss, weight gain, headaches, severe stomach pain, and depression, memory loss, and other symptoms.
After a office visit & numerous office calls my doctor & nurses said its all normal & to just try it for 90 days! On June 23rd I went to have the mirena removed because I couldn’t take the side effects any longer. The doctor wanted me to just take medicine to control the symptoms I denied as I thought if you had to be on medicine just to control your birth control issues something is wrong.
Samantha Yoakum (photo from her Facebook page)
We proceeded the exam to have it mirena IUD. The doctor could reach the strings to remove it but it wouldn’t come. I went across the hall over for ultrasound to locate it which revealed that it was embedded in Myometrium and would have to be surgically removed. On Wednesday July 1st I went in for my 1st surgery to have the mirena removed which was only suppose to take 30-60 minutes. After 3 hours I came out with the mirena still embedded in me. The doctor went through my uterus and went thru my belly button & stomach to try to get to the IUD. The doctors couldn’t get it bc I started bleeding heavily & they didn’t have blood on stand by.
On Thursday July 9th I went to meet a new surgeon who advised me I will be going through another surgical procedure in the next upcoming weeks. The new surgeon thinks he can rip it out. If I hemorrhage or if by any chance he cannot get it to come out I will be having a hysterectomy. At the age of 22 that is devastating to me. If you are thinking the mirena as your birth control I hope you rethink you decision as it destroyed my life.
Thank you to each & everyone of you who took time to share, read, or just simply warning someone else about it. I know some people love it & have had no trouble, but remember you could always be just that one person like me. For everyone that has sent me a message I apologize for not getting back with you. I have over 70,000 messages & can’t read all.
[easy-tweet tweet=”22-year-old shares: effects of Mirena IUD can be devastating.” user=”LiveActionNews” hashtags=”#prolife,#Mirena,#birthcontrol”]
The law firm Bernstein Liebhard LLP is collecting women’s stories about the Mirena IUD at its website, www.TheMirenaIUDLawsuit.com. The law firm reports:
Over the last 15 years, there have been more than 45,000 adverse event reports filed over the Mirena IUD by women implanted with the birth control device….
Women who have filed Mirena lawsuits against its manufacturer, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, claim the t-shaped device migrated away from their uteruses, causing them to develop abscesses, infection, uterine perforations, intestinal perforations and other unpleasant side effects as a result. Some women even claim Mirena permanently harmed their fertility. Others who became pregnant after Mirena migrated allegedly experienced ectopic pregnancies.
In 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) caught wind of the potential for these side effects to develop and sent a letter to Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, scolding them for downplaying the risks associated with the contraceptive device, and exaggerating its efficiency….
Despite these visible warning signs, some medical professionals are continuing to recommend that women of all ages use Mirena. In fact, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recently touted it as a first-line form of birth control, and suggested that doctors prescribe it to young women and teenagers as a more reliable alternative to birth control pills. This bit of advice is particularly surprising given the fact that on Mirena’s website, the company says that only women who have already had at least one child consider the device.
The Driscoll Firm P.C. is another law firm warning women about the dangers of Mirena. You can find this firm’s helpful infographic here, and see for yourself the dangers and reactions women are experiencing from Mirena.
For more about how Mirena poses dangers to an already-conceived baby, read this short article I wrote in 2011: “The Mirena IUD – How it causes abortions and is dangerous to women.”
And finally, for more facts about hormonal (and copper/ParaGard IUD) birth control in general, read Abby Johnson’s highly informative article series. Women (and their partners) who want to be informed do not want to miss this.
[easy-tweet tweet=”Hormonal birth control and IUDs can hurt women and their children – Get the Facts” user=”LiveActionNews” hashtags=”#prolife,#birthcontrol”]
