Jim Shelton's Pearls

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April 21, 2004

7 Year Norplant

I've heard that Norplant contraceptive implants may actually be effective for longer than 5 years. Is that true?

Yes - 7 years. The WHO Selected Practice Recommendations (SPR) committee recently reviewed the data and affirmed that Norplant is effective for 7 years.

However, for the group of women who weigh over 80 kilograms (176 lbs) the pregnancy rate averaged 2 ½ % per year, in the 6th and 7th year. This is still good effectiveness, though not as good as we generally see with Norplant. So these heavier women should be counseled accordingly if they wish to keep their implants for those last 2 years.

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The "Pearls" offer answers to commonly asked questions about family planning. These "Pearls" are prepared by Dr. James D. Shelton, Senior Medical Scientist, Office of Population, United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

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