This article discusses a mature topic. Our 17-year-old and younger readers are encouraged to read this with an adult.
At dinner parties, my friends always joke that I sit at the “sex end of the table” because, once people find out that I work at Planned Parenthood, they ply me with questions. Yes, it is fun to talk about sexuality all day long. No, I can’t diagnose your rash. Yes, I’m willing to talk to your kids about sex when you have them. One of my favorites is when I get to talk to frustrated women about birth control options.
Some people love routine–and the birth control pill is a great option for those folks. But for those of us who can’t keep a schedule to save our busy lives, there has to be other kinds of birth control out there!
Today I’m going to talk about the implant (not the breast-enhancing kind) which provides a low maintenance and effective way to prevent pregnancy. As always, if you have questions you can always send them to me at askelizabeth@pp-la.org
I’m 21 and absolutely terrible at remembering to take my birth control pills everyday…For a young woman who hasn’t had a child, and is miserable at remembering to take a daily pill, what would you suggest as a reliable and healthy form of birth control?
Even though hormonal birth control methods have been available for decades (happy anniversary, Griswold v. Connecticut), it can seem like all you ever hear about is the pill.
There are lots of shiny, tri-fold pamphlets with information about birth control, but they often don’t feel that informative or in-depth. I talked about IUDs in a previous post, but there are other long acting kinds of birth control methods to choose from. It really comes down to finding the one that works best for you!
One option is the implant, better known by its brand name, Implanon.
Implanon is a small plastic rod (it kind of looks like a matchstick) that is inserted by a clinician just under the skin of the inner arm (a local anesthetic is applied before making a small incision). You shouldn’t be able to see it, but you can feel it if you press on the area. It releases a hormone continuously that prevents your body from ovulating.
How well does the implant work. And what if I don’t like it? Am I stuck with it?
Implanon is more than 99% effective and works for three years. Since it is inserted by a clinician, it’s not going to stop working because you snoozed your “remember to take my pill” alarm.
Implanon and other long-acting reversible contraceptives (sexual health pros call them LARCs) are way more effective than the pill and other short term methods because they eliminate the chance of user error. If you know that you don’t want to have children for a few years (for example, until after finishing your education) these can be a great option.
If, for whatever reason, you don’t like Implanon you can always have it removed by a clinician.
How much does Implanon cost?
Implanon costs $400-$800 but lasts up three years. Similar to the IUD, the implant has a higher up-front cost that the birth control pill—but can actually be more affordable over the long run. Planned Parenthood and many other community health centers work to make birth control more accessible and affordable. Some health centers are able to charge according to income, and you may qualify for state programs that lower the cost of birth control. To make an appointment or learn more, contact the Planned Parenthood health center nearest you.
Photo credit to Bedsider.org
Everybody should practice safe sex if they are not yet ready for the consequences. I’d say that this implanon is a good choice for women who have an active lifestyle and are forgetful. Having sex is really good, not to mention using some sexual enhancer just as long as you will be very careful in doing it.
http://stiffy.com
Wooo! You saw my email! Thank you, I’ll look into Implanon =]
I am an Implanon convert. I adore it.
I am definitely a “oops-I-forgot-to-take-the-pill-today” woman, and not being under pressure to remember is a blessing sent by God.
For those who are concerned that hormonal birth control will affect your moods, it’s not actually that likely, due to Implanon being a low dose. The pill has also been known to cause mood problems and depression, so avoiding Implanon is not avoiding the problem. Sure, swapping brand of the pill sometimes prevents problems, but it’s a bummer to trawl through a few different brands with varying results and find that the best one is the most expensive. My family has serious depression and chemical inbalance problems, and I myself have been considerably depressed at times in my life, but I have found no direct link between any low moods and having an Implanon.
Also, Implanon does have an effect on your cycle. My doctor told me that it can stop your periods all together, leave them as normal, or make them heavier and even cause “spotting” (remember, having your period doesn’t mean you are ovulating). I have experienced all three of these effects. If you do choose Implanon and find it has a negative effect on your cycle, you can take the pill, or mini-pill, on top and that should even out your cycle (a low-dose pill and a low-dose Implanon are safe to take together). I chose to do that, and since coming off the pill again, my cycle has settled down nicely. My periods were a bit haywire when I first got my Implanon put it, then when I started on the pill again (thankfully, forgetting to take it this time was only going to affect my cycle, not cause an unexpected pregnancy) they were wonderful and regular. I’ve come off the pill since, and after a month-long period presumably a result of changes I’ve had no troubles whatsoever. All is well in the world of my uterus. If the Implanon-plus-pill is the road you choose to travel, I would suggest coming off the pill every so often (for about 3 months at a time) to see if it has regulated your cycle to an extent that it will continue normally even once you’ve come off the pill.
Naturally, it will affect different people differently. Talk to your doctors.
I’m lucky that in Australia, Implanon is really affordable compared to the pill. I would suggest having a really good talk and think about Implanon if you’re living in the US, as it would be more of an investment. However, you could have one put in and use the pill as well to regulate any negative side-effects. That way, the Implanon can act a safety net for those times you forgot to pop the pill in the morning.
I’m coming up to 2nd year anniversary of Implanon this September. I love how it lasts three years! And, if you want to get down to baby-making before the three years is up, you can have it removed and ovulation should re-start in 3-7 days, according to my doctor. BABIES!
Yes, *cough*, ahem.
Anyway, I will say one more thing in Implanon’s favour; not only is sex minus the worry of the forgotten pill, but if you happen to be sleeping with a regular partner who you trust and who is STI-free then having Implanon means
CONDOM FREE SEX
which I presume will be a wonderful concept for your partner, as well as you for.
It certainly makes me smile. Like so:
Woah, sorry! I didn’t realise how long my post had gotten!
I’m really super glad you mentioned this. I have been considering alternative birth control methods for some time now as I am super paranoid about getting pregnant, and often forget one or two pills a month. I’m definitely going to look into it! I’m also really excited about more posts from this column, it’s a great idea!
Due to family depression problems, I can’t take any hormonal birth control….
For Australian readers out there, Implanon thanks to Medicare only costs $38. It is covered under our medical system and thus is a very very very cost effective and clever way of protecting yourself. I’m 23 and find it works less harshly than the pill. So goo have a chat with your local GP.
I had a terrible experience with this and would encourage anyone considering it to look into the (many) side effects you can experience, particularly if you have been affected (ie. made all crazy) by the pill. I got it in the UK so it is free, but had a terrible time with all the side effects, both physical and mental/emotional and it took a while normalise after it was removed. However, another girl I know has had a fine time with it, so it is all down to the individual. Personally, I found however, that my clinic did not give me enough information about it, and when I asked to have it removed felt almost accused with being overdramatic when I described my low mood. I probably could have put up with the physical side of things for longer (irregular, long periods – at one point bleeding for over a month!) if I thought they would clear up, but depression/low moods that started extremely soon after it was inserted were the deal breaker for me.
I recently had a Paraguard copper iud inserted and it has been a major game changer, I am obsessed with it and preaching to every female I know about its glory. Even though I was someone who could remember to religiously take my pill my body was just not agreeing with being on hormones for 10 years. Thank you for writing these informative articles about the other options out there for us ladies.
I appreciated your IUD post and this one. I feel strongly that the dominance of “the pill” needs to be contested, and your posts offer alternatives in a straightforward, practical, non-confrontational way. Brava.
Thank you for writing this post! I’ve been wondering about this method for a while, but wasn’t sure where to go for more information.
How does this stack up against depo provera? That did NOT agree with me, made me crazy etc… but I would like a longer term option.
I loooove the implanon.