Norplant

From Encyclopedia of Sex and Sexuality

A very effective, reversible method of birth control. Of 10,000 women using Norplant for a year, only 4 will become pregnant. The reason for this very high rate of effectiveness is that, once implanted, it is mistake-free. Like oral contraceptives, it prevents pregnancy through the use of hormones, but instead of having to take a pill every day (which some women forget to do every now and then), six thin, rubber-like implants, about the size of a cardboard matchstick, are inserted under the skin of the woman’s upper arm and release the hormone continuously. The hormone used is called levonorgestrel. It is similar to progesterone, a natural hormone manufactured in the ovaries, and keeps the ovaries from releasing eggs. It also thickens a woman’s mucus, keeping sperm from being able to reach the egg, and may also prevent a fertilized egg from attaching itself to the uterus. Norplant is effective for five years.

The initial cost of Norplant—currently about $500—is high, but it is a cost efficient method of birth control because it lasts five years. There are some possible side effects:, the most common is irregular menstrual bleeding. After nine months, the pattern of bleeding generally settles down, but some women experience irregular bleeding throughout the five years. Usually women experience less menstrual blood loss with Norplant than they have before receiving the implant. Other possible side effects include headache, weight gain or loss, change in appetite, sore breasts, nausea, acne, gain or loss of facial hair, and enlarged ovaries or fallopian tubes. As with the pill, combining Norplant and smoking greatly increases the risks of heart attacks and stroke in women over thirty-five years old.

In most women the implants are invisible, though in women who are very muscular or thin, they may be noticeable. There may also be some hardening of the skin over the implant site. Any scar that might be left would be almost invisible. One can feel the implant, however, and some women have expressed the view that if a man feels the implant, he might assume that that woman would have sexual relations with him because she cannot become pregnant. That is an issue she will have to be prepared to address.

As with birth control pills, Norplant does not prevent sexually transmitted diseases. Women with multiple partners should also use a condom.