The Nexplanon implant is one of the most effective forms of birth control on the market. Women also love it for its convenience—once it is implanted, they can forget about it until it expires in three years. If you are wondering whether the Nexplanon implant is a good option for you, below is some information about Nexplanon that may help you with decision-making.
The Nexplanon Arm Implant
The Nexplanon arm implant is a small, flexible plastic rod (about the size of a toothpick) implanted by your doctor inside of your non-dominant upper arm. It is impregnated with 68 mg of the progestin hormone called etonogestrel.
The implant procedure is easy and fast. Your doctor will use a numbing agent to numb the area on your arm. Using a special applicator designed to ensure proper placement of the device, your doctor will insert the device subdermally on the inside of your arm.
Once implanted in your arm, Nexplanon releases enough etonogestrel into your body each day to prevent pregnancy. Etonogestrel is a hormone that is similar to a natural hormone made in your body. It prevents pregnancy in three ways: 1) it stops your ovaries from releasing one of your eggs, 2) it thickens the mucus of your cervix to help prevent any sperm from reaching an egg, and 3) it changes the lining of your uterus to prevent attachment by a fertilized egg.
The Nexplanon implant also contains a small amount of barium sulfate. Barium sulfate makes the implant visible with an X-ray or other imaging tool. This feature allows doctors and other health care providers to ensure it was inserted correctly and pinpoint the implant location after insertion if needed.
The Effectiveness of Nexplanon
Nexplanon is over 99% effective. Fewer than 1 out of 100 women who use Nexplanon will get pregnant each year. The reason it is so effective is it leaves no chance of making a mistake. It is implanted in your arm, so you do not need to remember to take a pill or do anything else to make it work.
Can Any Factors Affect Nexplanon’s Effectiveness?
Certain medications can impair Nexplanon’s efficacy. Some of these medicines include bosentan, barbiturates, carbamazepine, rifampin, itraconazole, ketoconazole, and cyclosporine, hepatitis C medications, and certain HIV medications and seizure medications. For that reason, if you are taking any prescription medications for any health condition, your health care provider needs to know about it.
Non-prescription medications may also affect Nexplanon’s effectiveness. Inform your health care provider if you are taking any non-prescription remedies, herbal supplements, and vitamins, such as St. John’s wort.
Also, before giving you the Nexplanon implant, your doctor will want to know if you have any health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or triglycerides, headaches, gallbladder or kidney issues, or if you have a history of cancer, depression or have any allergies to medications including anesthetics or antiseptics.
The Benefits of The Nexplanon Implant
The Nexplanon implant offers many benefits to women who choose to use it. They include:
Immediate and Long-Term Effectiveness
Nexplanon is immediately effective if you get it during the first five days of your period. If you get it during any other time of the month, it will be effective within one week. After that, you don’t have to worry about getting pregnant for three years.
At the end of the three years, the implant loses its effectiveness. You must have it removed, but you can have a fresh device implanted and be protected for another three years.
Easily Reversible
If you decide to become pregnant during the three-year period, you can have Nexplanon removed. You will become fertile within one month.
Hassle Free Contraceptive
As noted earlier, a big benefit of Nexplanon is you do not have to do anything else once the device is implanted. You are protected against pregnancy without having to take pills.
Very Safe to Use
The hormones in the Nexplanon implant have been in use for many, many years, and millions of women have used them with no health problems.
Nexplanon is very safe—so safe it can be used while you are breastfeeding. It will not affect how much milk you produce, and it will not harm your baby.
It also has few negative side effects for most women. Some women do experience irregular bleeding with Nexplanon, but In fact, many women have lighter periods than normal, and some have no periods at all.
Contact The Experts At Raleigh Gynecology And Wellness For More Information
It is not unusual for a woman to try a few different types of contraception methods before finding the one that works best for her. If the Nexplanon implant sounds appealing to you, contact the experts at Raleigh Gynecology and Wellness. They can discuss the advantages of the Nexplanon implant option, along with other birth control options. They are available to answer your questions and schedule your appointment.