Implanon & Pregnancy: Understanding Risks and Symptoms

Question
Hi there,
I have had an implanon implant for roughly 6 months. But over the last 3 months my partner and i have had unprotected sex on every occasion wich is a min of once a day. I have not had a period in almost 2 months and was wondering what are the chances of being of being pregnant whilst having the implant. I have heard that if i do a home preg test that due to implant it will come up positive also. Im too scared to see a dr just yet. please help me

Answer
Dear "Worried",

Implanon, nor any other hormonal birth control method, will affect the results of a pregnancy test. Pregnancy tests check for the hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). hCG is a hormone produced essentially only during pregnancy. In non-pregnant women, hCG levels are normally undetectable. During early pregnancy, the hCG level in the blood doubles every 48-72 hours.

Tests performed too early in the pregnancy, before there is a significant hCG level, may give false-negative results, while blood or protein in the urine may cause false-positive results. Urine hCG tests may give a false negative result in very dilute urine. Patients should not drink large amounts of fluid before collecting a urine sample for a pregnancy test. Certain drugs such as diuretics and promethazine (an antihistamine) may also cause false-negative urine results. Other drugs such as anti-convulsants, anti-parkinson drugs, hypnotics, and tranquilizers may occasionally cause false-positive results.

As for the Implanon, according to the manufacturer, it is considered to be more than 99% effective for 1 year when it is inserted correctly. (A barrier method must be used for the first seven days after the implantation procedure.) Implanon may be less effective in women who are very overweight or are taking certain types of medications. The Implanon is actually considered more effective than the birth control pill.

The most common side effect of Implanon is irregular menstrual bleeding. Some women may have more bleeding, less bleeding, or no bleeding. The time between periods may vary, and, in between periods, you may have spotting. However, if you want to make sure that you have not conceived a pregnancy, you can test for pregnancy and not worry about the Implanon affecting those results.

I hope this has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well.

Brenda