Implants as a safe contraceptive option: Bad press surrounding Implanon should not deter women from choosing its successor, Nexplanon, as their contraceptive option.

It is estimated that since the contraceptive implant Implanon was first licensed in 1999, 2.5 million women have used it worldwide. Current estimates in the UK are that around 800,000 women are using Implanon as their preferred method of contraception.

A new implant, Nexplanon, replaced Implanon in October 2010. Both implants are identical in terms of efficacy and mode of action; however, the Nexplanon device has a new delivery system that has been developed to ease implantation and reduce complications with insertion.

Recent reports of the failure of implants to prevent pregnancy and of the problems associated with their use have caused heightened anxiety in both health professionals and patients. Unfortunately, these unbalanced news reports have failed to highlight the well-documented benefits of the contraceptive implant and the fact that it is still the most reliable method of contraception available in the UK.