A newly approved Intrauterine Device prevents pregnancy for three years and, like all IUD's, is more than 99 percent effective.

Skyla, produced by Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is the first IUD to be approved by the FDA in the last decade. The benefits of this device over others on the market is that it uses lower doses of hormones, is smaller and lasts for three years and not five, like the competitors.

The T shaped device is inserted through the cervix and opens up in the uterus. It releases a synthetic hormone, levonorgestrel, which is also found in emergency contraceptive pills. The hormone thickens the cervical mucus which makes the microenvironment inhospitable for embryo implantation.

The clinical trial tested more than 1,400 women and less than 1 percent of women in the study became pregnant. Like all IUD's, this one is only made to prevent pregnancy and cannot prevent against sexually transmitted diseases. The study found that 77 percent of women who wanted to get pregnant became pregnant within a year of removing the device.

The cost, between doctor's visits to put in any IUD and remove it, is somewhere between $500 and $1,000 according to Planned Parenthood, and pays for itself if used for its lifespan.

Skyla has been available by prescription for the last two weeks.

To learn more about Skyla click here.