My girlfriend has one of those and has a bunch of pain, so maybe there would be another place to put it that isn’t on contact very often.
Also why is mostly used for teenagers? (She got it when 16 now is 20 and is not recommended to use another one)
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It probably isn’t recommended again because of the pain, not because of age.
It’s used often for teens because teens aren’t exactly known for being responsible. Can’t forget a dose if it’s implanted. And IUDs are… less comfortable to get installed. Not that the other options aren’t on the table, but the long acting ones are often recommended first.
As for location there are multiple locations that -may- work, but medical trials are done with the implant in a specific location. To get an alternative site means you are doing a medical study for approval, which isn’t worth the funding for the companies that make the implants.
I’ve never felt pain with mine, and I’m an adult so it’s certainly not used only for teenagers. It may be recommend for teenagers because it is the most effective birth control, it does not require a teenager remembering to take it/schedule it like pills or the depo shots, and is often considered less invasive than an IUD particularly for girls who are underage or never have had sex.
I think the idea is: teenagers might forget to take BC pills, and this is effective through their teen years.
It’s probably not good to do for 10 years, though, and now she’s probably old enough to manage taking BC at the same time every day. Maybe time to get it removed.
There are many different types of contraceptive options including patches, pill, IUDs, rings, a shot every three months as well.
Not sure why exactly it’s placed in the arm but it is relatively easy access to swap in and out since the nexplanon (arm implant) should be changed every three years. It’s also not very noticeable and shouldn’t interfere with every day life. It should not cause too much pain…. Oftentimes the most painful part is getting the lidocaine injection in the arm to numb, than actually getting the implant inserted in. Definitely should tell her doctor about the pain and find another option that works best for her 🙂
It’s almost always recommended to get long term contraception (eg, IUD) before trying things like the pill since it depends heavily on the person to take it correctly and consistently.
Sticking a solid object into the body is not easy, and the arm is one of the few spots where you aren’t gonna regularly bump or move it, and its the least risky to open up surgically to implant, as your legs have a whole lot more everything, and your torso is filled with delicate organs.
Its also quite common with adults as a lot of longer-term hormonal birth control methods reportedly produce less side effects, and the inability to forget a dose is highly convenient.
If she is experiencing chronic pain from it, she should see a doctor. After it gets settled in it shouldn’t be very noticeable at all
Mine “drifted” while in my arm which is what caused the pain. Maybe hers was placed weird like mine where I would get “stabbed” by it relatively frequently. My other friends with them say they haven’t experienced that from their nexplanon.
To answer your question, it’s generally recommended for young people because once it’s inserted, there’s no effort for the patient to remember something (unlike the patch, pill, or ring), minimal appointments (unlike the shot), less invasive and painful than IUDs, and don’t require the user to use correctly (condoms, diaphragms, caps, etc.) It’s definitely recommended for adult women as well, it just might not be recommended for prolonged use and since she had it inserted as a teen that might be why they’re not recommending it again.
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