Side Effects, Health Benefits, and Health Risks

Side Effects (see Managing Any Problems)

Some users report the following:

  • Changes in bleeding patterns†, including:

First several months to a year:

After about one year:
    • Lighter bleeding and fewer days of bleeding
    • Prolonged bleeding
    • Irregular bleeding
    • Infrequent bleeding
    • No monthly bleeding
    • Lighter bleeding and fewer days of bleeding
    • Irregular bleeding
    • Infrequent bleeding
    • No monthly bleeding

Bleeding changes are normal and not harmful. If a woman finds them bothersome, counseling and support can help.
  • Users of Implanon and Implanon NXT are more likely to have infrequent bleeding, prolonged bleeding, or no monthly bleeding than irregular bleeding.
  • Headaches
  • Abdominal pain
  • Acne (can improve or worsen)
  • Weight change
  • Breast tenderness
  • Dizziness
  • Mood changes
  • Nausea

Other possible physical changes:

  • Enlarged ovarian follicles

Known Health Benefits

Known Health Risks

Help protect against:

  • Risks of pregnancy, including ectopic pregnancy
  • Symptomatic pelvic inflammatory disease

May help protect against:

  • Iron-deficiency anemia

Reduces:

  • Risk of ectopic pregnancy

None

Complications

Uncommon:

  • Infection at insertion site (most infections occur within the first 2 months after insertion)
  • Difficult removal (rare if properly inserted and the provider is skilled at removal)

Rare:

  • Expulsion of implant (expulsions most often occur within the first 4 months after insertion)

Extremely rare:

  • There are a few reports of implants found in another place in the body due to improper insertion, for example, in a blood vessel.

† For definitions of bleeding patterns, see “vaginal bleeding.”