about NEXPLANON
Yes, NEXPLANON is a small, thin, and flexible birth control implant that provides 3 years of continuous pregnancy prevention. It’s placed discreetly just under the skin on the inner side of your non-dominant upper arm by your healthcare provider.
No, it’s not an intrauterine device (IUD), because it’s placed in your arm, not your uterus. But like an IUD, it’s a long-acting birth control option because it lasts for 3 years.
NEXPLANON is small. It’s 1.6 inches (4 cm) in length.
NEXPLANON is a hormone-releasing birth control implant for use by women to prevent pregnancy for up to 3 years.
NEXPLANON prevents pregnancy in several ways. The most important way is by stopping the release of an egg from your ovary. NEXPLANON also thickens the mucus in your cervix and this change may keep sperm from reaching the egg. NEXPLANON also changes the lining of your uterus.
No. NEXPLANON does not contain estrogen.
NEXPLANON is over 99% effective (less than 1 pregnancy per 100 women who used NEXPLANON for 1 year) at preventing pregnancy, and you don’t have to remember to take it every day. NEXPLANON is one of the most effective forms of birth control available.
The NEXPLANON implant must be removed after 3 years. Your healthcare provider can insert a new implant under your skin after removing the old one if you choose to continue using NEXPLANON for birth control.
Your healthcare provider can remove the implant at any time within the 3-year period. You may become pregnant as early as the first week after removal of the implant. If you do not want to get pregnant after your healthcare provider removes the NEXPLANON implant, you should start another birth control method immediately.
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. Your period may be longer or shorter, or you may have no bleeding at all. The time between periods may vary, and you may also have spotting in between periods.
Your healthcare provider will help you determine when to have NEXPLANON inserted. The timing will depend upon whether you are currently using birth control and which method you are using. You should not use NEXPLANON if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant.
NEXPLANON can be removed at any time by your healthcare provider during the 3-year period, but must be removed by the end of the third year. For more information about how to get NEXPLANON removed, click here.
using NEXPLANON
Call your healthcare provider right away if you have:
- Pain in your lower leg that does not go away
- Severe chest pain or heaviness in your 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 headache 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
- Feeling that the implant may have broken or bent while in your arm
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Certain medicines may make NEXPLANON less effective, including:
- Aprepitant
- Barbiturates
- Bosentan
- Carbamazepine
- Felbamate
- Griseofulvin
- Oxcarbazepine
- Phenytoin
- Rifampin
- St. John’s wort
- Topiramate
- HIV medicines
- Hepatitis C virus medicines
Ask your healthcare provider if you’re not sure if your medicine is listed above.
If you are taking medicines or herbal products that might make NEXPLANON less effective, you and your doctor may decide to leave NEXPLANON in place; in that case, an additional, non-hormonal contraceptive should be used. Because the effect of another medicine on NEXPLANON may last up to 28 days after stopping the medicine, it is necessary to use the additional, non-hormonal contraceptive for that long.
When you’re using NEXPLANON, tell all your healthcare providers that you have NEXPLANON in place in your arm.
Do not use NEXPLANON if you:
- Are pregnant or think you may be pregnant
- Have, or have had serious blood clots, such as blood clots in your legs (deep venous thrombosis), lungs (pulmonary embolism), eyes (total or partial blindness), heart (heart attack), or brain (stroke)
- Have unexplained vaginal bleeding
- Have breast cancer or any other cancer that is sensitive to progestin (a female hormone), now or in the past
- Are allergic to anything in NEXPLANON
Tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any of the conditions listed above. Your healthcare provider can suggest a different method of birth control.
In addition, talk to your healthcare provider about using NEXPLANON if you have:
- Diabetes
- High cholesterol or triglycerides
- Headaches
- Gallbladder or kidney problems
- A history of depressed mood
- High blood pressure
- An 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.
You should see your healthcare provider right away if you think that you might be pregnant. It’s important to remove NEXPLANON and make sure that the pregnancy is not ectopic (occurring outside the womb). Based on experience with other hormonal contraceptives, NEXPLANON is not likely to cause birth defects.
If you’re breastfeeding your child, you may use NEXPLANON if 4 weeks have passed since you had your baby. A small amount of the hormone contained in NEXPLANON passes into your breast milk. The health of breastfed children whose mothers were using the implant has been studied up to 3 years of age in a small number of children. No effects on the growth and development of the children were seen. If you’re breastfeeding and want to use NEXPLANON, talk with your healthcare provider for more information.
You may be able to get NEXPLANON for free under the Affordable Care Act. Check with your insurance plan for cost and insurance information. You may need to pay a co-pay, deductible, or other charges.
