Once the capsules are inserted, you will have to wear a bandage for a few days to protect your arm. You should not do any strenuous work with your arm during this time. Five years after the time of insertion, the health practitioner will remove the old capsules, and then you may choose to either put in new capsules or stop using Norplant. Make sure you get the capsules removed and replaced if you want to continue using Norplant as a form of birth control. Once the five years are up, they no longer protect you from pregnancy.
Some girls experience irregular vaginal bleeding for the first year.
Norplant seems to have a higher incidence of side effects than other hormonal forms of birth control, such as The Pill and Depo-Provera . One of the bad things about Norplant is that it is on the expensive side. Your insurance may cover this, but find out for sure before you make plans to get Norplant. Norplant is a bigger hassle, if you want to stop using it, compared to the Pill, which you just stop taking. Also, Norplant may be visible under your skin.