Implants: Tools for Providers

• Counseling Clients About Implants
• Medical Eligibility Criteria Checklist for Implants
• Checklist: Providing Implants, With Appropriate Infection Prevention Practices
• Tool: Counseling About Changes in Monthly Bleeding
• Insertion and Removal of the New Implants
• Questions and Answers About Implants
• Tool: Implant Reminder Card
• Sources
• Subscription and Ordering Information
• How to Use This Report
• Credits

Bleeding Changes Due to Implants — What Might Happen

In the first year users may experience one or more of the following:

After about one year users may experience one or more of the following:

• Lighter bleeding and fewer days of bleeding
• Irregular bleeding that lasts more than 8 days*
• Infrequent bleeding
• No monthly bleeding

• Lighter bleeding and fewer days of bleeding
• Irregular bleeding
• Infrequent bleeding
• Even at one year some women have no monthly bleeding

*In the first few months Implanon users are more likely than users of Norplant, Jadelle, or Sino-Implant (II) to have infrequent or no monthly bleeding and less likely to have frequent bleeding. Users of all implants experience irregular bleeding lasting more than 8 days at similar rates. After 1 year there are no significant differences among the various implants.

Norplant, Jadelle, and, Sino-Implant (II) users with lower body weight have fewer bleeding episodes (days of bleeding) and longer bleeding-free intervals than heavier women (12).

Implants for Women With HIV/AIDS

• Women who are infected with HIV, have AIDS, or are on antiretroviral (ARV) therapy can safely use implants.

• Urge these women to use condoms along with implants. Used consistently and correctly, condoms help prevent transmission of HIV and other STIs. Condoms also provide extra contraceptive protection for women on ARV therapy. It is not certain whether ARV medications reduce the effectiveness of implants.