Besides using a condom, birth control pills/birth control is one of the best things to use to prevent pregnancy.  When used together, birth control pills and condoms offer an even higher percentage of prevention.  Yet birth control’s effectiveness greatly depends on whether or not you use contraceptives consistently and correctly. If you want your birth control pills to deliver its highest percentage of effectiveness, you can’t be careless with your chosen method, must always keep in mind that the pill isn’t your only option. Whichever your choice, use it always and the right way!

Because the pill is pretty often discussed, I want to offer a walk through with my experiences in getting a contraceptive implant. Like most people, I listened to my friends about how the process would be (in my case, this was the wrong idea!). They told me scary things that made me want to second guess myself, but what solidified my decision to get the implant was the information my doctor gave me. Note: Always ask your doctor about contraceptive options and the one you are choosing.

The day I went to get my implant, I was nervous for a couple reasons: I hate needles and didn’t know exactly what to expect. When I went into the doctor’s office, I sat and waited for them to call my name. When I heard my name, I went into a room and a nurse asked me a few question, like when my last period was and how much I weighed.  She asked me to lay back and wait for her to come back with materials.

First, she rubbed my arm with a numbing liquid so I wouldn’t feel the needle when it pricked me. After that, she stuck the needle in my arm, which had some more numbing liquid, but this time, it burned a bit. But it wasn’t so bad I wasn’t able to handle it. It took all of two minutes for the slight hurt to go away. Then she put the Nexplanon (the contraceptive implant itself) in a tool that she used to place the contraceptive in my arm. She felt around on my arm to make sure it was placed properly; it was. Then she bandaged up my arm and told me if I had any problems to call her. We were done.

Choosing a contraceptive is not necessarily hard or scary, you just have to know how to choose it to suit your needs. Your opinion and medical professionals’ is all that matters.

The post #FNFRealTalkTeam: Getting the Implant appeared first on Fact Not Fiction.

The birth control implant provides protection from pregnancy for 3 years. Since you have had your implant for a year, you should be protected from pregnancy. It sounds like the second pregnancy test was a false-positive.

Remember, the implant does not protect against a sexually transmitted infection so latex condoms should be used if you are ever unsure about your partner.

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The implant (also known as Implanon or Nexplanon) is birth control in the form of a very small rod (smaller than the size of a match) that is inserted by a doctor right under the skin of a woman’s upper arm. Because the implant is small, it is hardly visible in most cases.

How does it work?

The rod releases hormones that keep a woman’s ovaries from releasing eggs and also thickens the cervical mucus to prevent sperm from getting to the egg in the first place.

How effective is it?

The implant is incredibly effective, preventing pregnancy in 99% of cases, and continues to prevent pregnancy for up to 3 years without any other maintenance. However, if a woman wishes to become pregnant, she can do so once the implant is removed. If a woman gets the implant removed and is not ready for a child, she should protect herself with another birth control method right away.

Where can I find it?

Because the implant has to be inserted by a doctor, it can only find be found in a doctor’s office or a health clinic. Talk to your doctor if you are interested in getting the implant.

If you are sexually active, make sure that you are protecting yourself with some form of birth control. Check out The Bedsider for more information on the implant and other birth control methods.

If you need birth control, visit our website for help locating a Mississippi clinic near you: https://www.factnotfictionms.com/clinics.

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