The implant is a method of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC).
All LARC is very effective because while it is being used you do not have to remember to take or use contraception.
Please explore the following sections for more information:
If 100 sexually active women don’t use any contraception, 80 to 90 will become pregnant in a year.
The implant is over 99 per cent effective. Less than one woman in every 1,000 will get pregnant over three years.
The progestogen hormone in the implant is called etonogestrel. It is released into the bloodstream at a slow, steady rate. The progestogen works mainly by stopping the release of the egg from the ovary (ovulation).
It also thickens the mucus which forms a mucous plug in the neck of the womb (cervix). This makes it difficult for sperm to move through the cervix and reach an egg to fertilise.
It also makes the lining of your uterus (womb) thinner so it is less likely to accept a fertilised egg. This may also alter your periods, because the lining is thinner your bleeds over time will become lighter. Most people with an implant will have irregular periods. This is normal.
A trained doctor or nurse will give you a local anaesthetic injection to numb the part of your arm where the implant will go. You will have a small scar where the implant went in your arm and this will fade over time.
To remove an implant a tiny cut in your skin is made and it is gently pulled out. It usually only takes a few minutes to remove an implant, it should not be difficult to remove. If you want to carry on using an implant, the doctor or nurse can put a new one in at the same time.