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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think the implant should be recommended more to young girls?

45 replies

TinkyWinkyDipsyLalaPo · 21/04/2014 23:26

It might just be my area of the country, but the pill seems to be the standard contraception recommended and given, or was to me as a teenager anyway.

The pill is (I think?) 98% effective if taken correctly, so not accounting for one off forgetfulness, stomach bugs so on, after a year there's a 2% chance of pregnancy, so after 5 years that's a 10% chance.

I got pregnant at 19 after taking it on time, and I seem to know more women who have had unplanned babies or abortions from being on the pill than women who have not having fallen pregnant on it.

I'm now on the implant, which seems close to 100% effective from reading up on it, and other than it costing more I don't understand why doctors don't give more information on it and recommend it over the pill, especially for teenagers who might not even know about it and just go for the pill as standard because it's more commonly known about.

OP posts:

Famzilla · 21/04/2014 23:28

I got pregnant with the implant. I was a teenage girl. It also made me incredibly spotty.

TheDoctrineOfSnatch · 21/04/2014 23:31

"The pill is (I think?) 98% effective if taken correctly, so not accounting for one off forgetfulness, stomach bugs so on, after a year there's a 2% chance of pregnancy, so after 5 years that's a 10% chanc"

It doesn't mean that, it means for every 100 women taking the pill correctly, 2 will get pregnant in any given year.

TheDoctrineOfSnatch · 21/04/2014 23:34

No contraception is 100% effective.

I imagine more teenagers get the pill because they are unlikely to be in their "for life" or "for years on end" relationship and may prefer the choice to stop and start the pill if they split up with boyfriends etc.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 21/04/2014 23:35

I am think the pill is also a fair bit cheaper than the implant?

Goofymum · 21/04/2014 23:35

All women should be given advice about a range of contraception including the pill, implant, coil. Some pills have a very narrow window for them to be taken to be effective and this can be difficult for some women especially teenagers. Practice nurses and gps are now recommended to offer all forms of contraception but often they don't. Sometimes they do but the women prefer the pill because it's what they know.

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 21/04/2014 23:36

I had to have an implant removed because I had not stopped bleeding for over 6 months and I swear I was a hormonal mess on it.

Much easier to stop taking a pill that is causing bad side effects and change to another, than have to have something cut out.

Also, I would worry that younger teenagers could be talked in by HCP to have it left in if they wanted it out for any reason.

fuckthefuckofff · 21/04/2014 23:36

The pills fairly easy to stop for adverse reactions compared to the implant also.

Goofymum · 21/04/2014 23:38

The coil and implants are more cost effective than the pill at 1 year taking into account unwanted pregancies rates with each method. But yes, implant is expensive for the actual device vs pill.

Fefifo · 21/04/2014 23:41

I don't think any contraception should be recommended or given to teenagers other than condoms.

Ponkypink · 21/04/2014 23:48

I wish people wouldn't forget that some kinds of contraception (or for the unlucky amongst us, most forms of contraception) can have horrendous side effects. It would be extremely stupid to start a difficult to reverse form of hormonal contraception without first trying a more reversable form to see if side effects are suffered. There is no point taking something to prevent pregnancy if the side effect is e.g. suicidal depression such that you aren't even able to consider sex in the first place- sure it's very effective, but no one sensible could consider it reasonable.

Also er statistics don't work quite how you seem to think. You can't just add up a probability over years like that, it's the same each year but you don't know if it's independent or e.g specific to some women who find the pill less effective.

nomcphee · 21/04/2014 23:51

I think the implant is a great contraception, the modern version is extremely reliable (the earlier ones had a higher failure rate). If I had a dd I'd definitely encourage her to use it (and definitely better than condoms alone, since the typical use failure rate for that is pretty high - though I'd encourage use of doubling up with condoms). I don't think the Pill is a great contraceptive for all the reasons you mention. But I'm not sure if it's right for doctors to be recommending it though, as it's a bit more complicated to fit and to come off it.

ImAThrillseekerBunny · 22/04/2014 00:00

Failure rate of condoms is very high though fefifo, especially for teens. They're just not good enough on their own in a situation where avoiding pg is a very high priority.

I think that the implant should be pushed heavily at any pill repeat prescription appointment, once the doctor knows that the hormones are being well tolerated, it would save thousands of unwanted pgs.

Goofymum · 22/04/2014 00:01

Often a trial of the pill is given first for that reason ponkypink. A lot of teenagers take condoms from schemes run across the country. It doesn't guarantee their use. The uk still has too high a teenage pregnancy rate and repeat abortion rate. The best way to stop an unwanted pregnancy, especially in young girls, is with a long acting contraceptive like the implant. Girls should be counselled effectively beforehand including the side effects. Some women will have bad side effects and then the implant can be removed. For a lot of women it's fantastic. 3 years of not having to worry about remembering to take the pill. Doesn't protect against stds of course.

BeyondTired · 22/04/2014 00:58

Umm... Percentages arent cumulative...

Anyway though, a lot of people don't get on with the implant, even those who are fine on the pill. And I love my mirena, but would never say everyone should have one.

lubeybooby · 22/04/2014 01:14

nope... so much nope. all the nope.

I found it hellish and wouldn't want to subject a teen to it who is barely used to all the hormones going on as it is. It made me very unstable and anxious.

If it were recommended they would need to be more honest about the side effects and not be so reluctant to remove them.

DioneTheDiabolist · 22/04/2014 01:21

I wish they'd get a move on with non barrier/non permanent contraception for men.

Sorry, don't mean to derail, but I had to say it.

PickledEggMobile · 22/04/2014 01:24

Before I had my implant my dr gave me the pill that had the same type of hormones in. Might have been cerazette but I'm not sure. I was on them for a month then had my implant. No adverse side effects.

I hated remembering to take a pill and never felt quite safe.
The failure rate of implanon, the previous implant was not that they didn't work but that women were told it was in when in fact it had failed to come out of the injection thingy so we're never covered in the first place.

I love feeling the little rod in my arm knowing it's there hopefully doing its job, and I wish I'd known about it sooner rather than wasting years on the pill, having to set my alarm on my phone to make sure I remembered to take it.

TOADfan · 22/04/2014 02:18

I had the implant at 18 but I got it took out after 6 months of constant bleeding. I got it due to forgetting to take my pill everyday, so yes it worked for that but the side effects weren't worth it. My BF has the same sode effects.

Me and my DP can't have children and one thing im happy about is that I will never have to use a hormone contraceptive again! though we are using condoms atm to ensure this atm

ICanSeeTheSun · 22/04/2014 06:17

I am so glad that I don't have to worry about contraception ever again.

A young women should be encouraged to use a contraception she feels comfortable with. With barrier methods being made clear is important to.

I was a virgin when I met DH, but we both went to the GUMm clinic before we ditched the condoms.

JessieMcJessie · 22/04/2014 06:53

The patch is a good happy medium-you stick it on and forget about if for a week, so all you have to do is have a routine of chamging it on, say, a Monday morning. Super sticky, won't budge through showering or swimming.

slowcomputer · 22/04/2014 07:15

The patch isn't all that great, it is a combined pill in patch form so those who have medical issues with the combined pill can't use it, the risk of blood clots is higher and it is often easier to forget something that is once a week than every day. The implant is cost effective even if removed after one year and we (I'm a GP) promote it a lot, but a third of women have it removed for troublesome bleeding and there are lots of urban myths out there stopping people having it.

MrsMook · 22/04/2014 07:24

Another implant fan. I had a trial of cerazette for a few months too. It's great for me as it reduces painful periods, and I'm forgetful at taking the pill. Where the hormone blend is suitable, the element of user failure is very low. I went on the pill two years before I needd any contraceptive benefits to manage painful periods.

ThePassionOfHoneydragon · 22/04/2014 07:29

Condoms have a 100% better chance of preventing sti's than the implant though

BertieBotts · 22/04/2014 07:30

How old are you op? In my area it was all the pill when I was a teenager but that's nearly 10 years ago now! 6 years ago when I was 19 they were really heavily pushing the implant and I didn't want it, they suggested i try the equivalent hormone in pill format, and then ignored me when I said I had bad side effects. Went to the gp and she was shocked and said stop immediately. I was bleeding non stop and anaemic.

Most young people I know in my area are on the implant.

BertieBotts · 22/04/2014 07:35

And it's taught about in schools, and every time I get a repeat pill prescription it flashes up on the doctor's computer "Ask patient about LARC"

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