Implanon: The birth control that's getting lost in women's bodies
While it's not clear whether they even work, the contraceptive implants are easy to remove... provided doctors can find them
In this video screen grab, a model indicates where the matchstick-sized contraceptive, Implanon, would be implanted in a woman's body. Photo: YouTube SEE ALL 110 PHOTOS
The beauty of contraceptive implants is that,
once a doctor has tucked one under a woman's skin, she shouldn't have to
worry about birth control for several years. At least, that's the
theory. But hundreds of British women who were using an implant called
Implanon nevertheless wound up pregnant last year and — after visiting
doctors to have the implants removed — discovered that the implants were nowhere to be found. What's behind this deeply troubling mystery, and what are the consequences? Here, a brief guide:
What is Implanon?
It's a match stick-sized device
that is placed under the skin in a fat layer of the upper arm. It's
designed to release hormones that stop ovulation, preventing conception
for up to five years. It's a fairly simple procedure, and the implant
can be taken out at any time. But it must be put in, and taken out, by a
doctor.
How popular is Implanon?
Considerably.
Implanon was licensed in 1999, and the British Department of Health
says 800,000 women in the country use it. A quarter of women who go to
U.K. family planning clinics get Implanon or a similar form of
implantable birth control. Implanon is the top choice
for women over 30 and under 20 at the country's National Health
Service. It's especially popular with teenagers, 10 percent of whom say
they prefer implants to the pill because they don't have to remember to
take it. Used properly, it's 99.95 percent effective — a fraction of a
percent better than the pill.
So what's the problem?
It's
not always used properly. There have been some cases in which the
implant never got released from the pre-loaded applicator, so the women
thought they had birth-control protection, but didn't. In other cases,
doctors have put implants in too deep in the patient's arm for it to do
much good. There have also been cases in which Implanon implants have
come loose from the fat that is meant to keep them in place, and
migrated to other spots in the body.
Is that a problem?
Yes,
especially for women near the end of their childbearing years, who want
the implants removed so they can get pregnant before it's too late. One
such patient, Nici Davies, 37, got an implant in 2010. The Londoner was
told it would be no problem to remove it if she decided to have kids.
Well, she did, and went in to have it removed in April, only to have
three doctors fail to find it. Now Davies is afraid that by the time the
device stops working she won't be able to get pregnant. "The implant
can last five years, she tells Britain's The Sun. "I am left with no chance of having children."
Can the drug maker fix this?
Implanon's
manufacturer MSD, a subsidiary of pharmaceutical giant Merck, replaced
Implanon with an updated version called Nexplanon — available in the
U.K. and U.S. — that has a new, improved applicator. It also contains
barium, which makes it easier for doctors to track it down if it gets
loose. But the company hasn't recalled Implanon that's already out
there. A spokesperson for the company says the missing implants are
usually just in too deep, and rarely actually move around, and that
doctors have ways to find them. Still, says Lindsay Cross at Mommyish, knowing that there are any
women out there who are stuck with a "missing matchstick floating
around inside of them releasing hormones" is, or should be, a PR
disaster.
Sources: Daily Mail, Mommyish, Sun
Moms' Health group!
Wow, totally scary. Makes taking the pill seem like eating fruit. I remember one of the last OB's i had (was pregnant with #3) and i remember she kept giving me "info" about having some copper and plastic iud inserting into my uterus. I was like "thanks but no thanks" but she was really pushy. After i read that SUPER, TINY fine print i was like "HECK no!!!" It just didn't seem right to have something metal in my uterus for "a few years."
I can only feel for the women who've had these procedures and a few years later have issues because they can't be removed or other problems women have had with them.
That is scary! My husband had a vasectemy in June, so no more birth control pills for me!
Just got my motivation for the day
- Alyson121
on Oct. 11, 2012 at 10:31 PM