contraceptive implant (Member Advice on Contraception)

Member Name: sma123

Product:	Member Advice on Contraception
Date:	22/11/08 (469 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: no pills to remember to take

Disadvantages: may make you moody/spotty ect

I have been on the contraceptive implant for 3 and a half years now, it has been around for many years and was known as the 4 pin or something because instead of one rod being inserted it was 4 rods which sounds pretty awful.

Before this for 2 years I was on the depo provera contraceptive injection which you need to go back and have an injection every three months, which was a right pain in the bum (quite literally), the 3 months used to pass so quick because I was dreading the next injection, which is unusual for me because I really don't mind injections I think they just hurt and seemed a bit repetitive after a while.

I get the implant which is called implanon inserted and removed at my local brooks clinic as it is free as I am under 25 after this age you would have to see your doctor and you would have to pay for it yourself.

Implanon is inserted into your upper arm (usually the arm you do not write with) and can stay there for 3years until it needs to be removed, the good thing about this is if you don't like it or it is making you moody ect you can get it removed and the effects will almost immediately get back to normal.
Unlike the depo provera injection if you want to get pregnant you have to wait atleast a year for the effects to wear off before you can get pregnant (obviously this may vary a little from person to person).
With the implant, once removed you will almost immediately be able to get pregnant which is way better than waiting for a whole year.

The reason I started using the implant was because research was done on the depo provera injection which I was on since 16 so 2years later they recommended I came off it because research showed when we got older our bones would be a lot weaker, this was recommended to a few people I know so im sure it was a wide spread thing.

Well being told to come off the injection was a blessing in disguise because the implant is so much more convenient after insertion you can forget about it for 3years.And all you get is a little scar, they use quite a big needle to insert the implant but its just best not to look and they also use a local anaesthetic so you don't really feel too much discomfort.

When getting the implant removed it is a little tricky as the implant would have formed its own skin around it, so they cut a little incision in your arm and if there is a thin layer of skin they also cut this, it takes a while for it to be removed because they are trying to pull the implant out with some sort of tweezers there is a lot of pushing and pinching on your arm around the implant to try and get the implant out as the local anaesthetic affects the easiness of getting the implant out.

Overall this contraceptive is so worth it, you don't have the hassle of taking a tablet everyday or being stabbed in the bum every 3months and this is also good if like me you get migraines and cant go on the pill or most other forms of contraception because they have estrogen in them.

I will update this review as and when I remember bits I may have forgotten ect

Summary: 3 years of contraception.