Contraceptive Implants

Family Health International has been studying contraceptive implants for decades, and we continue to work with partners in many countries so that women can have greater access to these long-acting contraceptives. In collaboration with governments and local health institutions, we helped to introduce Norplant — the first commercially available implant — to many parts of the world in the 1980s and 1990s. We have trained health care professionals to insert and remove implants, and we have helped to determine their safety, effectiveness, and acceptability among women. A modeling exercise we performed in Kenya showed that the rates of unintended pregnancies and maternal mortalities would decline if more women were to use implants.

 

Contraceptive implants are a reversible method of contraception that can be safely used by most women who want to space or limit their pregnancies. Despite low rates of use in many parts of the world, the demand for implants appears to be increasing. Implants are among the most effective contraceptive methods, with a clinical efficacy that is indistinguishable from that of sterilization and intrauterine devices. Implants require almost no attention on the part of the user, and their effectiveness is not dependent on daily or monthly action. When a woman has an implant removed, her fertility returns immediately.

 

Norplant consists of six progestin-releasing capsules that can be inserted under the skin of a woman's upper arm to prevent pregnancy for up to five years. As Norplant is being phased out, several alternatives are entering the market. Jadelle and its low-cost counterpart, Sino-Implant (II), consist of two progestin-releasing rods that can be used for up to five years. Implanon is a single progestin-releasing rod that can be used for up to three years. When compared with Norplant, all of the newer implants are more easily inserted and removed.