Hi Kathryn, Thanks for your implant query and yes, it’s perfectly fine to shower and shampoo your hair as normal 24 hrs after an implant insertion so long as the insertion is covered with a waterproof dressing while it is still healing up. Some people heal quicker than others but it usually only takes a few days for the skin to seal completely. Make sure you replace the band aid or waterproof dressing every day for about 4-5 days after showering and of course report any developing redness, soreness, oozing etc. to your doctor.

I’m sure that your doctor would have cautioned you to report any other side effects too. Implanon does release a synthetic progestin so some women can have adverse reactions to this.

Best of luck, remember that Implanon only lasts 3 yrs and does not protect against STIs or HIV!
KInd regards Carole

thanks

Hi Raiza, Thanks for your query and I’m glad you like my site. It is a fact (not my opinion) that you do not need to use any other form of protection against PREGNANCY if you have the rod implanted since it delivers 3 years worth of progestin into your body. An implant is one of the most reliable forms of birth control you can use. (Less than one woman in a 100 will get pregnant in one yr.) If you and your partner are faithful to each other and have been tested you will be fine not to use condoms. Life can throw ‘curlies’ at us from time to time so if either of you are ever tempted to have sex with another partner while under the influence of drugs or alcohol (or God forbid you are compromised into having intercourse against your will with another) head straight for the clinic to be retested prior to having sex with each other again. This is vital insurance for the health and happiness of you both. Best wishes, Carole

Hi Jade, Hopefully you received my email reply. For the benefit of others though the simple, quick answers are:

Yes, if the wound is covered with a plaster it is fine to shower
No further protection is needed if your rod was inserted by a professional at the correct time of the month (Day 1-Day 5 of your cycle, or on the day following an intake of your last contraceptive pill..If you had a ring or patch removed then inserting the rod on the same day is advisable.
Implants do not protect from STI’s or HIV of course.

Thank you for your contact and please accept my sincere apologies for the delayed reply to your query, I do hope this has not inconvenienced you.

You asked about removing the Jadelle rods earlier than the 5 year recommended period. I would not recommend this for two reasons:

1. Medications should always be used according to the instructions for maximum effectiveness and Jadelle is designed to release controlled measured doses of levonorgestrel into your body continuously over a fixed period of 5 years with perfectly reliable pregnancy protection. There is a pregnancy risk of 0.8% in the first years increasing slightly to 1.1% over 5 years, which is similar to sterilization.

2. You are obviously concerned about getting pregnant if you leave Jadelle in place for 5 years. Do NOT worry about this. Your body adjusts to its new hormone balance and removing Jadelle within 12 months will achieve no benefit and could actually ‘mess around’ with your bleeding pattern and hormone balance because you are not giving your body time to ‘settle’ down

Remember though that Jadelle does not protect you against STI’s and fertility rapidly returns following removal of Jadelle.

Please explain this to your friends who are intent on replacing Jadelle after 1 yr. and if you are still anxious, talk to a doctor again about your anxiety as this will stress your body – not good.

I wish you all the best Babey, now relax and enjoy your love life!

Kind regards Carole

Hi Michelle,

Thank you for your email asking about the implant and bleeding sign/situation that is worrying you. I am a ‘reviewer’ not a doctor and therefore cannot give you ‘advice’ (just some information) which is wimping out of helping you I know but it sounds as though you know your body well in relation to its responses to your implant/hormone regime and I commend you for taking responsibility to get this checked out in as many avenues as you can.

First of all, irregular bleeding CAN be a side effect of an implant and is the main reason for women changing away from this popular form of BC so I am confident that it is a combination of things with you and nothing to really worry about.

HOWEVER, if YOU think your bleeding is abnormal and it’s obviously causing you anxiety then you MUST seek professional help as soon as possible- if only for reassurance to rule out any other cause (better safe than sorry) or to find a more appropriate method of BC to suit you and you partner.

Bear in mind, that as we age our body ‘s metabolism alters, which in turn, can affect the way we react to medications. Implanon is usually replaced after 3yrs as you know but 2 yrs is fine too in certain cases - 1 year is not usual if you were thinking that you need another one because of your weight.*

These facts may help you understand your specific status a bit better if you are obese:

• Obese women (BMI of 30 or higher) have lower fertility than other women but its not zero - Are you over BMI 40?
• Are you using Implanon? Obese women very likely have a higher risk of failure with oral contraceptives but the absolute risk is still modest and with Implanon or an IUD, you have probably chosen (or been advised) the better BC option
• Obese women have a lower level of etonogestrel (the active ingredient in Implanon) in their blood than other women
• *Implanon reduces its dosage of etonogestrel gradually over a 3 year period – since the concentration of etonogestrel is related to body weight, I wonder if a ‘dilution’ effect is occurring more rapidly in you -hence the irregular bleeding? This could indicate that over time (8 years in your case?) Implanonhas become less effective/less ideal for you and you may be wise to consider another form of BC.

In women of average weight, an implant should give at least 3 years protection before needing replacement.
You say you are on your 3rd implant in 8 years which is pretty good, given you say you are overweight but if you have continued to gain weight over 8 years I would suggest a thorough ‘overhaul’ of your contraceptive career is due to make sure that you are getting a method that is as effective as it can be.

Other options for BC which you’ve probably already thought about:

Depo Provera shot is an option that may also have been offered to you but is not as ‘convenient’ or long lasting as an implant. If the progestin implant is not acting well for you now it’s unlikely that the progestin shot (or the progestin IUD) will either so a combination estrogen/progestin may be the only alternative IF you can tolerate synthetic estrogen.

Essure or Vasectomy is always a future discussion point too if you have completed or don’t want a family. How does your partner feel about using condoms?

There’s a little more info on obesity and the pill on another post

So I wish you all the best Michelle, sorry I could not be more help, in spite of this, ‘get it sorted’ as they say in the UK and don’t let this worry spoil a great sexy and loving Christmas for you and your partner!

Kind regards Carole

Dear Michael, (a POM after my own heart?)

May I commend you on helping your girlfriend so responsibly by asking this question.

The fact is that if Implanon is not removed AFTER its expired 3 year period, infertility, ectopic pregnacy or an inability to halt a drug related adverse event may occur.

Implanon (progestin only) is 99% effective in preventing pregnancy for 3 years - after which it should be removed. If continued contraception is required after this period a second rod may be inserted straight away.

Tell your girlfriend that some women fall pregnant very quickly (within days) after Implanon is removed!
Best of luck Michael and thank you for using my site. There is a video on Implanon insertion/removal on here if you haven’t already seen it.

Hello Tatiana,

Your doctor should have told you when to remove the initial dressing and when it’s OK to shower without it. Transpore is great for holding IVs in place but since I am not a doctor I suggest you phone your doctor and discuss your situation with him/her.

Your skin is a living organ that certainly needs to ‘breathe’ to heal properly and the tape may be delaying this process, however, if the insertion site is still open it means that bacteria can get in too so it’s important to take the appropriate steps to protect the site until it seals over. The fact that there is no pain and oozing augers well so I expect that the doctor will advise you to lightly cover the wound with gauze or similar breathable material for a couple of days then let Nature do it’s work. Good luck and thanks for asking the question. Kind regards Carole.

Hi Cerys,

Assuming that the doctor who will be doing the replacement is skilled, you may only feel a bit of pulling and tugging when the old implant is removed and the new one is put back in the same place (or in the opposite arm if there any issues with removal -which is rare) Sometimes a rod cannot be pushed easily to the ‘ exit doorway’ so a little more surgery is needed to ‘free it up’.

I am surprised to read that the initial implant was inserted without a local anaesthetic as this is not usual (and painful!) and a removal is also usually done using a local injection of anaesthetic under or beneath the rod to prevent displacing it. A tiny incision is made at one end of the rod which is then pushed towards the little opening in the skin. The end of the rod is grasped with forceps/tweezers and then pulled out. If the rod cannot be ‘felt’ and it appears that the doctor is having trouble, I suggest that you ask for it to be located by ultrasound or MRI. I don’t want to alarm you, just inform you but blind attempts to remove an implant that cannot easily be felt and pushed to an exit wound may lead to scarring or worse damage.

I am confident that all will progress smoothly for you Cerys but you are wise to educate yourself in these procedures. Good luck, Kind regards Carole.

Dear Carole, It can take a while for an old implant site to ‘to settle down’ after removal, especially if the removal was a bit tricky or pulled/tugged a lot, causing bruising. The lump you are feeling could be due to a bit of internal scar tissue that grew around the old implant over the years. Hopefully the doctor was skilled in removing your old implant and has also scheduled you for a 3 month check up following the new insertion. At this consult mention your concern to him IF the old site has not ’subsided’ to your satisfaction.

Occasionally some women do have scarring but as someone who has a larger than necessary laporoscopy scar, I often wonder if this is dependent on the skill of the doctor rather than the healing capacity of one’s body! You can check how well your implant was inserted/removed by comparing the procedures to these two in these videos on my main website. Post is titled “Low Dose Birth Control or LARC?” (you will need to scroll down on the page a bit) I wish you all the best Carole. Thank you for your query and please let me know if you acquire further feedback on your problem so that we can post it on my website too in case it helps others.

Dear Brogan,

Your doctor should have scheduled you for a 3 month check up after insertion of your implant so it is difficult for me to assess how far below the skin the rod has been inserted. Normally you can FEEL its shape/outline when you press on top of the site not see it. The scar should fade (Vit C helps healing) although some women DO experience a little scarring. The fact that you have no redness, swelling, pain or itchiness is excellent but it would be irresponsible of me to hazard any further thoughts. You need to put your mind at rest and get it checked it out now. Is there a family planning clinic near you for a second opinion? Best wishes, Carole