If you’re sexually active but don’t want children right now, contraception is an important part of your life. Nearly all sexually active American women of childbearing age use contraception at some point in their lives. Nearly two thirds of them currently using it are ages 15-44.
You have many choices for contraception, but some methods are simply a better fit for your lifestyle than others.
One such option is Nexplanon®, a type of implant that offers birth control with low risk and plenty of advantages.
In the Lake Mary, Florida, area, you can turn to OB/GYN Christopher Quinsey, MD, and our experienced medical staff if you’re struggling with birth control options. Our team can help you make the right choice to suit your needs.
To help you learn whether Nexplanon might be the birth control option for you, we’ve put together this guide. Let’s explore what Nexplanon is, when and how we implant it, and what benefits it gives you over other options.
This is a progestin-only contraceptive implant that we place subdermally in your upper arm to keep you from getting pregnant. The device itself is only about the size of a matchstick (1.6 inches) and uses a form of synthetic progestin called etonogestrel.
Etonogestrel keeps your ovaries from producing eggs to be fertilized, stops sperm from reaching the eggs, and thins the lining of your uterus to keep eggs from attaching to start the reproductive process.
You don’t have to take pills or use any other form of contraception, except condoms to prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
First, we give you a pregnancy test, just to be safe. After we confirm you aren’t pregnant, we proceed with inserting the Nexplanon implant rod.
We start by numbing the area targeted for the implant. Dr. Quinsey then inserts the device in the inner side of your nondominant arm. When we can insert the rod depends on the types of contraception you’re using and what point you’re at in your menstrual cycle.
Here are some types of birth control and when you can get the Nexplanon implant if you plan to switch:
If you use another form of birth control that contains progestin, see Dr. Quinsey to discuss when you can switch to Nexplanon, because it will vary.
Here are the advantages of using Nexplanon:
Once the implant is in place, you don’t need to keep track of when to take any medications or manage other birth control options.
Nexplanon is 99% effective in preventing pregnancies when inserted properly, though due to changes in hormone activity in overweight women, the percentage is somewhat lower in that population.
If you’re just interested in not getting pregnant now but still want children later in life, this is a good choice, as fertility returns in just two weeks after you stop using it.
If inserted in your arm within the first and fifth day of your period, Nexplanon starts working right away to prevent pregnancy.
Because this method provides a steady dosage of the hormone, it also comes with fewer side effects than other forms of birth control, especially those you have to keep track of like pills.
Choosing when you want to start or stop having children is a fundamental decision for women, and to do that, you should have birth control that works when you need it to.
If you’re interested in seeing how Nexplanon could work for you, make an appointment with Dr. Quinsey and our team today.
