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Hormone injections and implants

Hormone injections and implants work by changing the flow of hormones in a woman's body that control her periods.

Hormone injections are given into muscle usually in your bottom or in your upper arm. A contraceptive implant is a small, flexible rod that’s put under the skin of the upper arm with a local anaesthetic. Both are given by a nurse or doctor.

Injections can be effective for up to twelve weeks, implants up to three years. After this time another injection or implant is needed.

They do not protect you against Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).

Injections and implants are two forms of Long-Acting and Reversible Contraception (LARC). LARC methods don’t rely on you remembering to take them, they work while you get on with your life.

Where to get contraceptive injections or implants

Like the pill you will need to see a doctor or nurse to find out if the injection and the implant are suitable for you.  You can do this by visiting your Contraception and Sexual Health (CaSH) clinic, Terrence Higgins/Brook clinic or your GP.

Latest news about Implanon 

You may have heard in the news that some women using the contraceptive implant called Implanon have still got pregnant.  Implanon has been in use for 11 years and around 1.4 million women have used it, with 584 reports of pregnancy – that’s a failure rate of less than 1%. 

Reasons for Implanon failure include; 

  • If Implanon is not inserted correctly, and this usually means that the implant has not been released into your arm during the fitting, then you are at risk of pregnancy.  One way to check that you have an implant in your arm is to feel it.  If you cannot feel your implant, please contact Wakefield CASH service (01924 327586) or your GP for advice.
  • The implant  has been inserted in the arm, after day five of a period, and condoms or an additional method of contraception has not been used for a week after the fitting.
  • Some tablets or medication prescribed by a doctor or nurse, can cause Implanon to fail.  It is only a small group of tablets or medication which will cause this to happen. The healthcare professional who fitted your Implanon will have discussed this with you prior to offering you the method.

  If you are worried about any of possible reasons for Implanon failure, please contact your local CASH service or GP for advice as above.

 Please be reassured that Implanon is a very safe effective method of contraception. Implanon is over 99% effective, although no method of contraception is 100% effective.