• Small plastic rods or capsules, each about the size of a matchstick, that release a progestin like the natural hormone progesterone in a woman’s body.
• A specifically trained provider performs a minor surgical procedure to place the implants under the skin on the inside of a woman’s upper arm.
• Do not contain estrogen, and so can be used throughout breastfeeding and by women who cannot use methods with estrogen.

Many types of implants:

− Jadelle: 2 rods, effective for 5 years

− Implanon: 1 rod, effective for 3 years (studies are underway to see if it lasts 4 years)

− Norplant: 6 capsules, labeled for 5 years of use (large studies have found it is effective for 7 years)

− Sinoplant: 2 rods, effective for 5 years

Work primarily by:

– Thickening cervical mucus (this blocks sperm from meeting an egg)

– Disrupting the menstrual cycle, including preventing the release of eggs from the ovaries (ovulation)

One of the most effective and long-lasting methods: less than 1 pregnancy per 100 women using implants over the first year (5 per 10,000 women). This means that 9,995 of every 10,000 women using implants will not become pregnant.

A small risk of pregnancy remains beyond the first year of use and continues as long as the woman is using implants.

− Over 5 years of Jadelle use: about 1 pregnancy per 100 women

− Over 3 years of Implanon use: less than 1 pregnancy per 100 women (1 per 1,000 women)

− Over 7 years of Norplant use: about 2 pregnancies per 100 women

Jadelle and Norplant implants start to lose effectiveness sooner for heavier women:

− For women weighing 80 kg or more, Jadelle and Norplant become less effective after 4 years of use.

− For women weighing 70–79 kg, Norplant becomes less effective after 5 years of use.

− These users may want to replace their implants sooner (see Question 9).

Return of fertility after implants are removed: no delay

Protection against sexually transmitted infections (STIs): none