The Mirena, along with its fellow IUD the ParaGard, is one of the methods of birth control that women like best, according to doctors at Planned Parenthood. (The other most popular method is the Nuva Ring.) Forget the old scares about IUDs in the 1970s-this is the new and improved and safe IUD. The ParaGard is made of copper; the Mirena ireleases a small amount of hormones into your uterine system, which for some women means no more period.* (Though for others there are side effects.) More doctors should probably be offering either or both to women, given that they’re as effective as getting your tubes tied and easy-peasy to use once they’re inserted. But Mirena recently doubled the price of its IUD from $300 and change to more than $700. The ParaGard still costs around $200, according to the doctors I’ve talked to. What’s with the price hike-why should women suddenly pay so much more?
CORRECTION: The sentence originally called the ParaGard and the Mirena barrier methods. They are not.
