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21st July, 2008
KOTA KINABALU: Women experiencing heavy and painful menstruation may consider using a new device to ease their pain.
Mirena Intrauterine System (IUS) has been proven to be effective not only as an anti-contraceptive device but also helps make periods lighter, shorter and less painful.
Pantai Cheras Medical Centre’s consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Ho Choon Moy said during her talk at a public forum on women’s health at the Promenade Hotel yesterday that after a year’s use, women suffering from heavy periods will on average have only two days of light bleeding per month.
“With Mirena IUS, you don’t have to suffer from menstruation anymore,” she said.
Dr Ho, a user of the technology, shared her experience at the forum.
“Since using it, I have been more energetic and I don’t need to worry about my menstruation anymore. I don’t lose as much blood as before,” she said.
According to Dr Ho, about 10 to 20 percent of women who used IUS did not have menstruation.
“But it doesn’t mean that they have menopause. Their period will return to normal when the IUS is removed,” she said.
The absence of blood during a woman’s period is due to thickening of the lining in the womb, which is completely at rest.
“When this happens, it should not cause any concern,” she said.
Studies have shown that an average woman loses about 80ml of blood every month and this has negative effect on some people, specifically those suffering from anaemia.
Women with heavy periods also suffer abdominal cramps, back aches and fatigue – stopping them from carrying out their daily activities effectively.
“Fortunately with IUS, women can now choose not to bleed and choose to bear children when they are ready,” she said.
The IUS works as a form of contraceptive by releasing a small dose of the hormone levonorgestrel into the uterus everyday.
It thickens the cervical mucus so that it becomes difficult for a sperm to fertilise the egg. The IUS inhibits the normal movement of the sperm inside the uterus and ovarian tubes.
The IUS is one of the most reliable contraceptive methods at present yet it is also reversible. Once a couple plans to have a child, they can simply get their gynaecologist to remove the device.
“Statistic shows that out of 1,000 women using the IUS for a year, only one or two became pregnant…it is better than female sterilisation where five out of 1,000 women become pregnant,” she said.
Once inserted into the womb, the IUS can work last for up to five years.
“It is also a preferred choice for breast feeding mothers as it does not change the quantity of the milk,” she said.
As the number of teen pregnancies in Malaysia catches up with the rest of the world, Dr Ho said that IUS could be used to prevent unwanted pregnancies and abortions.
About 220,000 women are estimated to have unplanned or unwanted pregnancies everyday.
The global percentage of women terminating their pregnancies is 45 percent for under the 20-year- old group, 25 percent for 20 to 29-year-old group, 15 percent for those between 30 and 39 years old, 30 percent for women between 40 and 44 years old, and 40 percent for women above 45 years old.
Implications of abortions include emotional trauma which could last a lifetime, heavy bleeding and even death in some cases, said Dr Ho.
“It is estimated that about 80,000 women in the world die due to complications during abortion,” she said.
In the United States of America, the number teenagers using IUS is growing.
IUS is also suited for women above 40 years old and undergoing menopause, she said.
“Studies have shown that women who use IUS have less need of undergoing hysterectomy. It also shows that IUS could prevent the formation of fibroids in the ovary, reduce the incidence of endometrial polyps and endometriosis,” she said.
In the United Kingdom, 70 percent of women scheduled to undergo hysterectomy cancelled the surgery after started using IUS, she added.
The IUS will also help keep the world green as women using the device are less likely to use too many pads or tampons during their menstruation period.
The Mirena IUS is available at most private hospitals and the Likas public hospital (formerly Sabah Medical Centre).
The cost ranges from between RM900 to RM1500.
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