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Contraception - Management
What progestogen-only implants are available?
- From mid-October 2010, Nexplanon® will replace Implanon® as the only progestogen-only implant licensed for use in the UK.
- Nexplanon® and Implanon® are bioequivalent (both contain 68 micrograms etonogestrel and have the same release rate). Both are inserted subdermally under the skin in the inner part of the upper arm.
- Both are designed to provide contraception for 3 years.
- The main differences are that Nexplanon® is radio-opaque, and has a different application device and insertion technique (training is required).
- However, UK family planning clinics continue to see women requesting the removal of implants, such as Norplant® (discontinued from the UK market in 1999) and Jadelle® (used in other countries). These implants are designed to provide contraception for 5 years.
[National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health, 2005; FSRH, 2010d; MSD, 2010]
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