Mirena IUD Birth Control Lawsuits: An Overview

The Mirena IUD is the latest bit of evidence that Bayer seems to have a hard time making birth control without (1) lying about the product, and (2) generating meritorious lawsuits. This blog post discusses the claims that are being made against Bayer’s Mirena IUD, the injuries plaintiffs’ attorneys claim this birth control causes, and why we believe Bayer hid many of the side effects of Mirena that result from the negligence of Bayer.

What is Mirena?

Mirena is a birth control device manufactured by Bayer Corporation. Bayer handles many types of birth control, including Yaz and Yasmin. It is a small, flexible device in the shape of a ‘T’ that is inserted by a doctor into the uterus. Bayer claims that it is good for up to five years—during that time it will release a steady stream of the hormone levonorgestrel and will help to prevent pregnancy. It has been used by 2 million women in the United States and 15 million women worldwide.

mirena iud lawsuits

Mirena IUD Suits

(Let’s be honest too, about what Mirena really is: an IUD which, in many instances prevents the implantation of an already fertilized egg from being implanting onto the uterine wall. So, arguably at least, Mirena is an abortion inducer because it is not really preventing pregnancy. The woman is still ovulating. The sperm still fertilizes the egg with an IUD. So the idea that it is like any other form of birth control is just plain wrong. What’s my point? I don’t know. Mirena is marketed like “Birth Control for the Busy Mom” instead of “Early (admittedly VERY early), Abortion Makes More Sense Than Regular Birth Control If You Are, You Know, Real Busy.” Regardless of your views on these issues of our day, it seems like there ought to be something like a black box warning on this particular point. How many women using an IUD really understand this? Expecting Bayer to try to play this straight is probably less likely than Todd Akin hosting “The View” next week.)

Mirena Injury Lawsuits

The problem with Mirena is that the device can puncture the uterus, causing bleeding, inflammation, and infection, which can all cause serious consequences to a woman and her reproductive organs. In some women, a surgery known as laparoscopy is required to remove the IUD, which can become embedded in the uterine wall. It can also lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), which is a specific infection of the reproductive organs. It can cause infertility, ectopic pregnancy, abscesses, and permanent pelvic pain.

Bayer recommends Mirena for women who have had at least one child. It’s an odd recommendation—does this mean that they think Mirena has a significant risk of causing serious problems that prevent future pregnancies? That is probably not a fair way to characterize it. But still, with Bayer, you never really can tell.

There are over 15 Mirena lawsuits filed in New Jersey state courts. These lawsuits state that Bayer hid the real risks from patients and their doctors. They also state that the devices are defective. Bayer has requested the judge to combine them all for the purposes of efficiency. Typically, the plaintiffs will make that type of request—the cases will not be combined into a class action, but will be unified in some respects (like discovery). If the Mirena cases do not settle, then they will be tried individually.

In 2009, the FDA issued a warning letter to Bayer because it was overstating – a charitable term – the efficacy of the Mirena IUD and minimized its risks. Anyone familiar with Bayer’s sordid history with Yaz is now nodding along. Bayer was claiming that Mirena actually improved a woman’s sex life and helped her “look and feel great.” Yet many Mirena users actually reported a decreased libido in clinical trials.

The point here is simple: where there is smoke, there is often fire. Is anyone really shocked to learn that Bayer may not be honest with other risks and side effects of Mirena?

Getting a Claim Started

If you used Mirena and have complications including surgical removal, infection, or Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), contact our Mirena defect lawyers at 1.800.553.8082, or send us an online request for more information.

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