About NEXPLANON
How does NEXPLANON work? Patient Stories
Risks & Side Effects
Getting NEXPLANON
Inserting NEXPLANON Removing NEXPLANON
Cost Info & Coverage
Cost Information Insurance Coverage
FAQs
Important Safety Information Información sobre NEXPLANON For Health Care Professionals

Prescribing Information

About NEXPLANON

NEXPLANON^® (etonogestrel implant) is a prescription medication for the prevention of pregnancy in women.

"my life is crazy. i didn't want to take birth control every day. that's why i use NEXPLANON."

vanessa hudgens

actual NEXPLANON user

Learn About How Effective NEXPLANON® (etonogestrel implant) 68 mg Radiopaque May Be

INFORMATION ABOUT NEXPLANON WATCH PATIENT STORIES

Watch Bianca’s Story

"A wife, a mother, a student, and a health educator."

SEE MORE STORIES

Over 99% Effective: Less Than 1 Pregnancy per 100 Women Who Used NEXPLANON® (etonogestrel implant) 68 mg Radiopaque for 1 Year

^* Less than 1 pregnancy per 100 women who used NEXPLANON for 1 year.

Up to 3 Years of Continuous Pregnancy Prevention: NEXPLANON® (etonogestrel implant) 68 mg Radiopaque Must Be Removed by the End of the Third Year

^†NEXPLANON must be removed by the end of the third year.

NEXPLANON® (etonogestrel implant) 68 mg Radiopaque Can Be Removed at Any Time. NEXPLANON® (etonogestrel implant) 68 mg Radiopaque Must Be Removed by the End of the Third Year

If your plans change, you can have it removed at any time.

You may be able to get NEXPLANON for free.

Check with your insurance plan for cost and coverage information.

Learn About Cost Information

Learn About Insurance Coverage

View a List of Questions About NEXPLANON® (etonogestrel implant) 68 mg Radiopaque to Discuss With Your Doctor

Talk to your health care provider to see if NEXPLANON is right for you.

See a list of questions to discuss with your health care provider.

VIEW CONVERSATION STARTERS

Important Safety Information

You should not use NEXPLANON if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant; have or have had blood clots; have liver disease or a liver tumor; have unexplained vaginal bleeding; have breast cancer or any other cancer that is sensitive to progestin (a female hormone), now or in the past; or are allergic to anything in NEXPLANON.

Talk to your health care provider about using NEXPLANON if you have diabetes, high cholesterol or triglycerides, headaches, gallbladder or kidney problems, history of depressed mood, high blood pressure, allergy to numbing medicines (anesthetics) or medicines used to clean your skin (antiseptics). These medicines will be used when the implant is placed into or removed from your arm.

Immediately after the NEXPLANON implant has been placed, you and your health care provider should check that the implant is in your arm by feeling for it. If you cannot feel the NEXPLANON implant, contact your health care provider immediately and use a non-hormonal birth control method (such as condoms) until your health care provider confirms that the implant is in place. You may need special tests to check that the implant is in place or to help find the implant when it is time to take it out.

The implant may not be placed in your arm at all due to failed insertion. If this happens, you may become pregnant. Removal of the implant may be very difficult or impossible if the implant is not where it should be. Special procedures, including surgery in the hospital, may be needed to remove the implant. If the implant is not removed, then the effects of NEXPLANON will continue for a longer period of time. Other problems related to insertion and removal include pain, irritation, swelling, bruising, scarring, infection, injury to the nerves or blood vessels, and breaking of the implant. Additionally, the implant may come out by itself. You may become pregnant if the implant comes out by itself. Use a back-up birth control method and call your health care provider right away if the implant comes out.

The most common side effect of NEXPLANON is a change in your normal menstrual bleeding pattern. In studies, one out of ten women stopped using the implant because of an unfavorable change in their bleeding pattern. You may experience longer or shorter bleeding during your periods or have no bleeding at all. The time between periods may vary, and in between periods you may also have spotting.

If you become pregnant while using NEXPLANON, you have a slightly higher chance that the pregnancy will be ectopic (occurring outside the womb) than do women who do not use birth control. Ectopic pregnancies can cause serious internal bleeding, infertility, and even death. Call your health care provider right away if you think you are pregnant or have unexplained lower stomach (abdominal) pain.

The use of NEXPLANON may also increase your chance of serious blood clots, especially if you have other risk factors, such as smoking. If you smoke and want to use NEXPLANON, you should quit. Some examples of blood clots are deep vein thrombosis (legs), pulmonary embolism (lungs), retinal thrombosis (eyes), stroke (brain), and heart attack (heart). It is possible to die from a problem caused by a blood clot, such as a heart attack or stroke. Tell your doctor at least 4 weeks before if you are going to have surgery or will need to be on bed rest, because you have an increased chance of getting blood clots during surgery or bed rest.

Cysts may develop on the ovaries and usually go away without treatment, but sometimes surgery is needed to remove them.

Besides changes in menstrual bleeding patterns, other common side effects reported in women using NEXPLANON include: headaches; vaginitis (inflammation of the vagina); weight gain; acne; breast pain; viral infection such as sore throats or flu-like symptoms; stomach pain; painful periods; mood swings, nervousness, or depressed mood; back pain; nausea; dizziness; pain and pain at the site of insertion. Implants have been reported to be found in a blood vessel, including a blood vessel in the lung.

Call your health care provider right away if you have pain in your lower leg that does not go away; severe chest pain or heaviness in the chest; sudden shortness of breath, sharp chest pain, or coughing blood; symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, such as swollen face, tongue or throat, trouble breathing or swallowing; sudden severe headaches unlike your usual headaches; weakness or numbness in your arm, leg, or trouble speaking; sudden partial or complete blindness; yellowing of your skin or whites of your eyes, especially with fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, dark-colored urine, or light-colored bowel movements; severe pain, swelling, or tenderness in the lower stomach (abdomen); lump in your breast; problems sleeping, lack of energy, tiredness, or you feel very sad; heavy menstrual bleeding; or if you feel that the implant may have broken or bent while in your arm.

NEXPLANON does not protect against HIV or other STDs.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please read the accompanying Patient Information for NEXPLANON and discuss it with your health care provider. The physician Prescribing Information also is available.

Are you a health care professional?

This section contains information intended for health care providers in the United States only and is not intended for the general public.

No, I am not. Please take me back.

Yes, I am.

By clicking on this link, you will be leaving this site.

This link will take you to a site outside of Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck does not review or control the content of any non-Merck site. Merck does not endorse and is not responsible for the accuracy, content, practices, or standards of any non-Merck site.

This site is intended only for residents of the United States, its territories, and Puerto Rico. US-XPL-00858 02/20

Important Safety Information

You should not use NEXPLANON if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant; have or have had blood clots;
You should not use NEXPLANON if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant; have or have had blood clots; have liver disease or a liver tumor; have unexplained vaginal bleeding; have breast cancer or any other cancer that is sensitive to progestin (a female hormone), now or in the past; or are allergic to anything in NEXPLANON.