September 2006 · Vol. 18, No. 9Everything you need to know about the contraceptive implant
FDA approval means US women now have a progestin-only implant among their birth control options
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Fast Track
Average insertion time: 1 minute
Average removal time: 3 minutes
The progestin-only implant suppresses ovulation and renders the cervical mucus impenetrable by sperm
Progestin implants have no abortifacient properties
Implanon is a safe choice for immediate postpartum contraception
Advise patients to use barrier contraception for 7 days after insertion
Bleeding irregularities are the most common reason for discontinuing the implant
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Philip
D.
Darney,
MD, MScProfessor and Chief, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco General Hospital
On July 17, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved what may be the most effective hormonal contraceptive ever developed, a single-rod implant that goes by the trade name Implanon. The implant contains 68 mg of etonogestrel (ENG), the active metabolite of desogestrel, in a membrane of ethylene vinyl acetate. In clinical trials involving 20,648 cycles of exposure, only 6 pregnancies occurred, for a cumulative Pearl Index of 0.38 per 100 woman-years.1
This article reviews:
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