This week’s special is the contraceptive implant. It’s a contraceptive used by women that will prevent pregnancy.
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The small flexible tube is inserted into your upper arm and contains the hormone progestrogen which is released into your body to prevent you becoming pregnant.
The only person to insert the contraceptive implant should be a trained professional, such as a doctor, and once it has been inserted it will last for three years.
If you do want to get pregnant then there is no need to wait out the full three years, you can have the implant removed by your doctor and your fertility should return quickly leaving you to become pregnant just as easily as you could before the implant.
If the contraceptive implant is inserted correctly then it is over 99 per cent effective. It works by slowly releasing progestrogen into your body which will stop the ovary from releasing an egg.
It also thickens your cervical mucus and thins the womb lining, making it harder for the sperm to move through your cervix and less likely for your womb to accept a fertilised egg.
In 2010 the implants that are inserted in the UK were changed to Nexplanon from Implanon. They work in exactly the same way but were changed to reduce the risk of insertion errors and so that they will appear on x-rays and CT scans.
If you had your Implanon implant inserted before 2010, there is no need to have it replaced by a Nexplanon implant until it is due to be replaced.
This contraception is great for you if you know that you don’t want to get pregnant for a while as you won’t have to think about contraception for three years once you get the implant.
It’s useful if you can’t have contraceptives that contain oestrogen or if you find it difficult to take a pill at the same time each day.
The great thing about this contraception is that anti-biotics don’t affect it and if you do suffer side effects, you can have it removed immediately.
Some things that you need to be aware of when you get the contraceptive implant is that when it’s inserted you may experience some bruising, soreness and swelling around the insertion area; this is completely normal and shouldn’t hold concern.
As well as this, in the first year you may find that your period become irregular, heavier, longer or lighter but this should even out after the first year.
A common side effect of the implant is that your periods stop. This isn’t dangerous or harmful but it’s something that you may wish to consider when deciding upon the implant.
Some medications for things such as HIV or epilepsy, or complementary remedies, such as St John's Wort may reduce the implant’s effectiveness so consult your doctor before you have the implant inserted.
Remember to consult your doctor before you decide upon any contraception to find out which one would be best for you.
Always use a condom with the contraceptive implant to stop the spread of STIs.
For more information visit your GP or go to nhs.uk
tagged in Sexual Health Sexual Health Education