‘The horror stories put me off!’: exploring women’s acceptability of the Levonorgestrel IntraUterine System (LNG-IUS) for endometrial protection

Abstract

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTIONThere are few studies of user perceptions of the Levonorgestrel Intrauterine System (LNG-IUS; Mirena™), which now has the potential to play an important role in the treatment of women with hyperplasia or early stage endometrial cancer. There is limited evidence on how well the Mirena™ is perceived and accepted by women in this context. AIMTo gain an understanding of New Zealand women's views on the use of the Mirena™ contraceptive device to inform policies in endometrial cancer prevention. METHODSAn online survey platform (Qualtrics™) was disseminated over social media sites such as Facebook once a week for 3 weeks. The survey used mixed methods (closed questions, multiple choice and open-ended questions) and covered topics relating to the knowledge and use of the Mirena™ for endometrial protection. Data were collected and explored using content and thematic analysis. RESULTSIn total, 89 women responded to the survey. Half (42/89) of respondents had never used a Mirena™ in their life. Most women (79/89) did not know anyone who had had endometrial cancer. The frequency of negative comments about the Mirena™ was higher than positive comments (42 and 26 respectively), largely attributed to personal or reported poor experiences with other contraceptives (including the copper intrauterine device). DISCUSSIONAlthough health-care providers may view the Mirena™ favourably, this view was not reciprocated in this community sample.

Keywords

• Intrauterine device
• endometrial cancer
• survey
• acceptability
• womens health
• qualitative