My mirena (levonorgestrel) was inserted 8 years ago. i've heard that in europe they use is for up to 7 years...is my iud still effective contraception?

5 years: The standard practice is that they are effective contraception for 5 years and then need to be replaced with a new one if you wish to continue. I would not trust a Mirena (levonorgestrel) iud that has been in for 8 years to provide you with the same reliable contraception.

Unlikely: There is some 'wiggle' room, as it were, with the mirena, (levonorgestrel) but speaking of months, not years. There is medication in the mirena, (levonorgestrel) progesterone, which was designed to be delivered over the course of 5 years. At 8 years, it's likely to be ineffective. It's possible in europe that the amount of medication is different? The paragard iud is good for 10 years, but it operates by different mechansim.