Birth control arm
implant, also known as Nexplanon or Implanon, is amongst the best birth control
methods. It is a small, thin, flexible plastic rod shaped contraceptive implant.
A doctor can easily insert a birth control arm implant beneath the skin of a
woman’s upper arm, it does not require a surgery, only local numbing with a
painkiller. It takes a couple of minutes. A birth control arm implant is no
larger than a matchstick. It contains etonogestrel, a steroidal progestin that
can prevent pregnancy. The birth control arm implant releases progestin, a
hormone, into a woman’s system. The progestin prevents the woman’s eggs from
leaving the ovaries. It also thickens the cervical mucus of the woman, keeping
sperm away from the egg. A birth control arm implant is available in more than
sixty countries all over the world. In the United States, it has been approved
in 2006.
How to Get a Birth Control Arm Implant
You are supposed to
find a doctor who has completed a special training in inserting and removing a
birth control arm implant. You can find such doctors at a Planned Parenthood
health center close to your town. You can also visit the website of Implanon
where you can find such health care providers.
How Effective Is a Birth Control Arm Implant
A birth control arm
implant is effective for three years.
When you decide
what kind of contraception options you want to use, you want the best birth
control method. Hysterectomy is the best birth control method. When a woman has
no womb anymore (and probably no ovaries, like radical hysterectomy), she
cannot conceive a child. We can say its failure rate is 0%. After hysterectomy,
the birth control arm implant is the best birth control method, its failure
rate is extremely low. When perfectly used, its failure rate is only 0.05%,
which means that out of 2000 women, only one gets pregnant. The average user
has exactly the same result, 0, 05%. You cannot do anything wrong with a birth
control arm implant, since it is the gynecologist’s task to insert the device
under your skin. Unlike hysterectomy, it is one of the reversible contraception
options.
Whenever you need
new medications – from flu to cardiovascular issues –, you should inform your
doctor that you have a birth control arm implant. Some medicines make your birth
control arm implant less effective. If you take TB medicines, oral medicines against
yeast, HIV medicines, anti-seizure medicines, medicines of mental disorders,
ask your gynecologist about other contraception options. Even some natural
remedies like St. John’s wort can interfere with the effectiveness of the birth
control arm implant.
Side-Effects of a Birth Control Arm Implant
Every medicine has
side-effects, too. Do not use a birth control arm implant if you are expecting
a child or if you have breast cancer. Go for other contraception options.
It may happen – in
rare cases – that you experience heavier bleeding than before, and your period
may take a longer while. You may bleed between two periods. Your sex drive may
ebb. You may experience headache, dizziness, sensitive or aching breasts.
Serious side-effects may include lumps in your breasts, yellowing of your skin,
heavy bleeding. The birth control arm implant may change its location beneath
your skin. If it gets too deep in your flesh, it has to be surgically removed.
Benefits of a Birth Control Implant
It is very
effective. It is amongst the best birth control methods. It is reversible: once
you stop using it, you can get pregnant in a short while. You can use a birth
control arm implant even if you cannot take estrogen. A birth control arm
implant is very convenient: you do not have to take pills every day, there is
no fuss. Once your doctor has inserted it beneath your skin, you do not have to
bother with it anymore for three years. It is safe to use, even if you
breastfeed a small child. During your period, you will bleed less, and periods
will be scarce because of the hormones released in your body. After a year of using
the birth control arm implant, you may stop menstruating. Since menstruation is
unpleasant for women, most of them are glad to get rid of it.
What If You Want to Remove Birth Control Arm
Implant
A doctor can remove
a birth control arm implant within a few minutes, it takes just one cut.
However, the process is a bit slower than inserting it.
Costs of a Birth Control Arm Implant
A birth control arm
implant may come for free. In other cases, it can be worth USD 800. Removal
costs are also free under certain circumstances. In other cases, it may cost
USD 300.
