Every woman goes through a tough time wondering about the right method of contraception. The subdermal contraceptive implant is an effective way to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

What is it?

A tiny matchstick-like thin rod releases small doses of a hormone that basically prevents you from getting pregnant for up to 4 years. It is a fairly simple procedure which does not require much of your time either.

How does it work?

• This device releases progestin into your bloodstream in small quantities. It makes the cervix harder to penetrate by thickening it. As a result, the sperm is unable to swim upstream to make contact with your egg!
• The progestin works to obstruct the ovaries as well. There is no chance of being pregnant when there is no egg to be fertilized.

Who can use a subdermal Contraceptive Implant?

All women can be considered for this option especially since it offers quite a few advantages over the other contraceptives available in the market.

Pros:

• A huge plus point with this form of contraception is that you need not depend on your memory anymore for your protection!
• The subdermal contraceptive implant protects you for up to 4 years or until when you decide that you want to get pregnant.
• Apart from this, what is great is that in most women, it causes minimal or no bleeding at all which means that your periods are more regular and you have lesser episodes of menstrual cramps or pain.
• It is absolutely safe to get this implant while breastfeeding your child and hence such concerns are totally unwarranted.
• This form of contraception is completely private and therefore you can forget about having to go into a pharmacy to buy condoms or other contraceptives.
• There are certain women who cannot take estrogen related contraception and for them, this contraceptive is a blessing as it only has progestin as the main hormone.
• The best advantage is that once you have taken the implant out, you can get pregnant without a second thought about problems or issues.

Cons:

• Weight Gain (this can be however controlled to a large extent by following a good, healthy diet along with exercise)
• Hair loss
• Depression
• Acne
• Breast Pain and Mood Swings

There is also the problem of irregular periods which should not be of concern if it is light or mild bleeding.

Success : The subdermal contraceptive implant has a 99% success rate which means that out of 100 women who are using the implant there is a possibility of 1 woman getting pregnant while using the implant. Also, it should be mentioned that this implant does not protect you from STDs and hence you must use protection.