Insertion and removal of Implanon (R)

Implanon(R) is a single-rod contraceptive implant containing the progestin etonogestrel. Implants require insertion and removal by medical professiona ls. Detailed and unbiased counseling before insertion is essential, and sho uld include contraceptive efficacy, insertion and removal procedures, and p ossible adverse events. Insertion and removal times have been measured in s ix open studies and in seven comparative studies in which Norplant(R) (the six-capsule levonorgestrel implant) was used as the reference product. In c omparative studies, the mean time needed for insertion of Implanon was 1.1! min and removal took 2.6 min. Insertion as well as removal of Implanon was four times faster than with Norplant. Complications with insertion and rem oval are rare in the hands of medical professionals familiar with the techn iques. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.