For women looking for a contraceptive, there has never been more choice than there is now. Unfortunately, this wealth of choice can also be a little bit confusing when it comes to finding the right contraception for you.
One kind of contraception that many women opt for, particularly if they don’t enjoy using condoms and struggle to remember to take a pill on a daily basis, is an implant called Implanon. This is a kind of birth control where hormones are implanted�under the skin of your arm in the form of�a small plastic rod.
How Does Implanon Work?
Implanon contains a progestin hormone called etonogestrel, which is similar to the naturally occurring hormone progesterone that’s made by a woman’s ovaries. When this hormone is in the body, it stops a woman from releasing an egg every month, and also thickens the mucus in the cervix. Together, both of these things prevent pregnancy.
Inserting And Removing Implanon
Implanon needs to be inserted by a specially trained medical professional, either a doctor or a nurse. The actual insertion process is very quick, usually taking no more than a few minutes. A local anaesthetic is used to help stop any discomfort, and therefore most women feel only the injection of that and nothing more. After insertion women may experience some soreness and bruising, which tends to fade after several days. Once inserted, the Implanon can be left in for as long as three years before it needs to be removed and replaced.
In order to remove the Implanon, a health professional will inject another local anaesthetic underneath where the implant it. Then, they will make a small cut in the skin and take out the Implanon rod. This might take a few minutes, and tends to leave a small scar. However, no stitches are required a new rod can be inserted in the same place. During some rare instances, the Implanon rod may have been inserted deeper than normal, or may have shifted into a different position. If this occurs, a specialist will remove it with the help of an ultrasound.
How Effective Is Implanon?
When Implanon has been properly inserted it is 99.9% effective, making it one of the most effective reversible methods of contraception currently available on the market. If Implanon is inserted during the first five days of a woman’s normal period, it is effective immediately as a contraceptive. Of course it can be inserted at other points during your menstrual cycle as well, but in these cases it can take seven days to be effective.
There are some things that cause Implanon not to be effective. These include St John’s Wort, which is a natural remedy, and some medications used to treat epilepsy. Implanon is not recommended to those women who have had breast cancer in the last five years.
The Good And Bad Of Implanon
As with any contraceptive, there are positive and negative things to keep in mind when considering Implanon. Let’s look at them now.
The advantages of Implanon is that it is highly effective, inexpensive and easy to reverse. It doesn’t require women to take a pill every day and many women experience either lighter, less painful periods, or no periods at all. When Implanon is removed the contraceptive effect reverses quickly, and its effectiveness is not impacted by vomiting or diarrhoea.
The disadvantages of Implanon is that it needs to be specially inserted by a health professional. The insertion of the device might not be readily available in your area, and you may not be able to access the procedure for free. Women can experience some pain and bruising following the insertion, which is another thing to consider. Women on Implanon experience a change in their bleeding pattern, which can make bleeding unpredictable. Implanon also doesn’t protect against STIs.
Can Women Who Breastfeed Use Implanon?
Yes. If you are breastfeeding your newborn�Implanon can be safely used, but it is worth checking with your doctor about your individual situation. Some studies have suggested that hormones from the Implanon can pass to the baby through breastmilk, so always talk to your health provider first.
Responses to “The Basics Of Implanon As A Contraceptive”
I used the implanon for 10 years. When I first got it I loved it. I went years without a period for it to slowly return over time. I put on some weight because of it but that was about it.
Until I got Breast Cancer at 30 years old. The doctors asked me heaps of questions about my lifestyle and family history to try and work out what risk factors I had. The only high risk factor that I had for getting breast cancer was the Implanon.
Just like all the other methods of contraception that put hormones in your body e.g. the pill this is a high risk factor for getting breast cancer.
Would I have done it if I new it was a high risk factor at the age of 20. Yeap of course, we all have that it wont happen to me attitude in life. And lets be honest there are alot of things we all do that put us in high risk catagories for all sorts of things, but we still do them.
It’s just something to think about when you make that choice. As I said I loved it when I had it!
i personally would not recomend implanon to anyone i know, while yes it was great not to have periods and i never got pregnant while i had itin, the good doesn’t outweigh the bad side effects. first up i put on 40kg in only 3 months without any changes in my diet and i was going to gym 5 days a week. My partner said i was moody and lets face it i was never ” in the mood” anyway because i had balooned so much. when i went back to my doctor to have it removed after only 3 months he told me that i was hypersensitive to hormanal contriception and should NEVER use it especially seing as both my grandmothers had breast cancer. He told me that i had to have it remover asap because i was at risk of having a heart attack or stroke ( iwas only 23)but i had to find another doctor to remove it as they where no longer doing it because of an increase it added to their insurance.afterwards i did some research and found out that someting like 40% of women who have used ir had a minimum of 25% increase in body weight. my advice is before you put anything like this into your body research it’d side effects and don’t just rely on what the packet tells you.
I have had my implanon in for two years. It was put in when my son was 2 day’s old. I still get regular periods and even with a long history of depression and anxiety this has NOT exacerbated these conditions. It’s a great option for me as I am allergic to condoms and estrogen based contraceptives send me bi-polar.