title: Levonorgestrel intrauterine system: a first-line medical treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding.
abstract: Chronic heavy menstrual bleeding is a common gynecologic condition that causes significant health problems and negatively impacts a woman's quality of life. Surgical treatments should be reserved for women who have pelvic pathology and for those who fail medical therapy. The recent US FDA approval of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system as an indicated treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding in women who want to use intrauterine devices for birth control highlights the potential that this top tier contraceptive method offers as a first-line therapy for treatment of this problem in women of any reproductive age, without sacrificing their future fertility.
authors.affiliation: David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Torrance, CA, USA. anitalnelson@earthlink.net
authors.forename: Anita L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007436:Intrauterine Devices, Medicated / Q000009:adverse effects; D016912:Levonorgestrel / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008595:Menorrhagia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female; D016912:Levonorgestrel