Implant Insertion: What's It Really Like?

One of our workers gets an implant inserted - and shares all!

Like lots of people, the first hormonal contraception option I was on was the oral contraceptive pill. However, with an unreliable digestive system, terrible memory and a very erratic sleep schedule, I soon realised that the Pill was not for me. I needed something that wouldn’t leave me vaguely anxious every time I had sex!

When I mentioned all this to my GP, she asked if I’d heard of the contraceptive implant. I hadn’t, but as she explained what it was, I felt confident it’d work for me – it was 99.9% effective at preventing pregnancy, and lasted up to 3 years at a time. It was just a small rod inserted into the arm, and I could just forget about it after the insertion.

It also released a lower dosage of hormone than the Pill I was on, which meant that any side effects I was experiencing might decrease or disappear. There was a chance that my period might be affected – the GP said that for some patients, their periods stopped altogether, and for some patients, their bleeding might increase. However, for most patients, their bleeding stayed around the same and became lighter over time. I’d never really had issues with my periods before, so I was happy to try it out.

After explaining how it all worked, the doctor wrote me a script for the implant. She then booked me in for an extended consultation with another doctor at the clinic, who had done the implant insertion training. From there, it was pretty straightforward:

1. I took my script to the chemist, and bought the implant. It cost less than $40, with a Medicare card.
2. I then took the implant to my long consultation with the implant-trained GP.
3. In the appointment, I had to get on the bed, roll to my side, with my non-dominant arm (my left) placed up over my head.
4. The doctor then wiped my arm with some alcohol wipes, distracted me by asking about my job, and gave me a jab of local anaesthetic.
5. After the area numbed, she then used the insertor to place the implant under the skin of my arm. All I could feel was a slight tugging, but it wasn’t painful.
6. Once it was in, the doctor got me to feel where it was sitting under the skin. It was very shallow, and I could make out the rod-shape quite easily with my fingers (though it wasn’t visible normally).
7. She then put some steri-strips on where the incision was and bandaged up my arm with some gauze. She told me to try and avoid taking off the bandages for a few days, just to let the hole close over and avoid infection risk.
8. As I’d had it inserted in the middle of my cycle, she explained I should use condoms for the next 7 days, before the full contraceptive effects of the implant started.
9. She also advised that if I could remove it any point if I had any issues, but that most side effects wore off after the first few weeks.
10. She then wrote a note in the clinic’s reminder system, to send me an automated text message in 3 years’ time.

Over the next few days, I had a bit of bruising around the implant area. This all completely faded after a week. There is a tiny scar (about the size of texta tip) where the implant was inserted. My periods became extremely light, and stopped altogether (which I’m aware makes me quite lucky – I was warned that this definitely wasn’t everyone’s experience!).

Overall, getting the implant was pretty straightforward. Knowing that I am very protected from unplanned pregnancy, and don’t have to remember to take something everyday or get a script every few months has been really great. I would highly recommend talking to your doctor about your contraception options, and seeing if the implant could work for you!

To find a doctor near you who can help with implant insertion or other contraception options, please contact 1800 My Options on 1800 696 784 (weekdays 9am-5pm), or head online to search.