Implanon in the under 19’s – an acceptable long-term method of contraception

A.Deacon

Harrow Contraceptive and Reproductive Health Service – The North West London Hospitals NHS Trust, London, UK

Objective: To assess the acceptability of Implanon as a long-term method of contraception in the under 19 yrs, by auditing removal rate before 1 year.

Method: Retrospective review of case notes of all Under 19 yrs fitted with implanon at Caryl Thomas Clinic between February 2002- 05 (n=38).

Results: There has been a 13% increase in the Under 19’s requesting implanon. Of the 5 implanon removed within the first year following insertion, only 2 removals were due to unacceptable bleeding patterns, 2 for medical reasons and 1 as relationship over.

Conclusion: Although only a small cohort the results support the hypothesis that Implanon is an acceptable method of long-term contraception in the under 19 yrs. The recent guidance re use of Depo-Provera in adolescents and the growing acceptability of Implanon as a long-term method of contraception will have important implications for the expansion of service provision and costs.