Implanon (etonogestrel) is a type of birth control for women. It is a flexible plastic rod the size of a matchstick that is put under the skin of your arm. Implanon contains a hormone called etonogestrel. You can use a single Implanon rod for up to three years. Because Implanon does not contain estrogen, your healthcare provider may recommend Implanon even if you cannot use estrogen.
Implanon (etonogestrel) prevents pregnancy for up to 3 in several ways. The most important way is by stopping release of an egg from your ovary. Implanon also thickens the cervical mucus, which acts as a barrier to prevent sperm from fertilizing an egg. Implanon (etonogestrel) is more than 99% effective.
Most women can’t see Implanon (etonogestrel) after insertion. Only you and your healthcare provider will know you’re using it. For this reason, you should tell all of your healthcare providers if you are using Implanon. You should be able to feel where Implanon is by gently pressing on your skin in the area where it was inserted. However, to reduce the risk of infection, you should not touch the insertion site until it has healed. It is not known if Implanon (etonogestrel) is as effective in very overweight women because clinical studies did not include many overweight women. Certain medicines may make Implanon less effective, and you may also need to use a barrier method of contraception while you are using these medicines.
