LiveScience.com has news of the recent approval by the FDA of implantable contraceptives for women. Beginning in August, the new contraceptive should be available, with a 3-year potency period.
Implantable contraceptives soon will be available again to U.S. women seeking a long-term solution to birth control, with the approval of a matchstick-size rod that can prevent pregnancies for up to three years.
. . .
Implanon provides 99 percent contraceptive protection. It will be the first contraceptive implant to be sold in the United States since 2000, when Wyeth Pharmaceuticals stopped U.S. sales of Norplant.
. . .
The rod is inserted by a doctor under the skin of the upper arm in a quick surgical procedure that requires only a local anesthetic. It must be removed after three years, although it can be taken out at any time before then, according to the company, a unit of Netherlands-based Akzo Nobel NV.
More details in the full LiveScience.com article.
[tags]LiveScience, Long-term contraceptives, FDA[/tags]