Re: Mirena IUD & repeat cervical abnormalities...

First, let me tell you I am an RN at an OB/GYN office, have had a LEEP AND I have a Mirena. Ok everyone...there is a lot of Mirena "bashing" going on here and unfounded accusations that the Mirena causes dysplasia. Show me EVIDENCE. Honest to goodness evidence. You know, factual stuff. Let's be real. The most common cause of cervical cancer and cervical dysplasia is HPV. Human papilloma virus. Two out of three women have this virus. Two out of three! HPV accounts for roughly 80 - 85% of cervical abnormalities. (The other 15 - 20%? Most likely environmental. Smoking, drinking, the preservatives in EVERYTHING we eat, the crappy food most of us eat, lack of exercise, etc.....) The Mirena does NOT cause dysplasia or cancer. If you had normal paps before the Mirena was put in and abnormal pap(s) after....it's coincidental! Chances are... you had a falsely normal pap before the insertion OR your cells have changed since the insertion (most likely due to HPV). This virus is sneaky! Let me tell you - I call women every week to deliver the bad news. AND not just women who have multiple partners. Women who are in a monogamous relationship and have never had an abnormal pap OR they've actually had a negative HPV test previously. Think about it, pap smears have inherent false negatives. All tests have inherent false negatives. Your provider takes cells from the SURFACE OF THE CERVIX. Just a "blind" swipe of the cervix - it is not a magnified view (as done with a colposcope). Next, a computer probably does the initial screen of your pap - which is good I think. Probably better than solely relying on a human to review the entire slide. Cervical cancer is not genetic, it is not caused by an IUD...it is caused primarily (notice I said not soley) on HPV. Next, I'd like to address why the package insert mentions abnormal paps. It is important to take past history into account because your provider would hesitate to put in an IUD if you have an abnormal pap. The reason? It makes a LEEP harder. Much harder! The IUD doesn't cause dysplasia - I have not found ONE SINGLE shred of reputable evidence that shows the IUD causes abnormal paps. I'm not making light of abnormal pap smears. Believe me. I am a patient too. I've been there. AND...I'm not saying an IUD doesn't go without potential risks and side effects. What I'm saying is this: would it not be more reasonable to think that HPV (which 2 out of 3 women have)(THE number one cause of cervical abnormalities) is the culprit??? Tweet