If pregnancy occurs, Norplant should be removed. If you want to become pregnant, have the implants removed. Your ability to become pregnant will be the same as it was before using Norplant. Ectopic Pregnancy Women who use Norplant have fewer ectopic pregnancies than women who use no birth control. However, in the rare case when Norplant fails, there is a greater chance that the pregnancy will be in the tube.
Ectopic pregnancies are life-threatening conditions.
They are usually removed with surgery. If your period is late and you have severe lower abdominal pain, be sure to see your clinician immediately. Although it has not been proven, some scientists believe that prolonged use of progestin-only implants or injections may slow the growth of bones in young women. Young women who are considering Norplant should discuss this controversy with their health care providers before having implants inserted. This site is produced by The Journal of the American Medical Association .