Since around August of 2023, I have considered getting a birth control implant. I have taken a birth control pill from ages 14-18. However, recently it has gotten more difficult to take because I don’t have the same schedule as I used to. As most people know, for the pill to be as effective as possible you have to take it at the same time every day. I cannot always take it at the same time every day since I am not always in my dorm at the same time. This made me think about getting a new birth control method that I would not have to worry about taking every day. After immense research I decided on getting the Nexplanon implant in my arm.
I went to get the implant on January 11th, 2023 at 8:30 in the morning. I know, very early in the day, especially over winter break. I had my mom take me because I was absolutely terrified of getting it. I made the mistake of going on TikTok and seeing so many negative reviews on it and people saying how it ruined their bodies. It scared me for what the future held. The procedure was actually surprisingly simple even though I cried because I am a very emotional person. It only took around 15 minutes for the entire thing, and after that I no longer have to take my birth control pill.
It has been a little over two weeks since I got the implant and I think it has had an overall normal effect on me. Due to the fact that it is a progesterone-only birth control method I have gotten a little more acne than usual but other than that I feel completely normal. This is because I used to be on a progesterone and estrogen pill so it has taken my body a little to get used to when you take away the estrogen. Other than the small amount of acne, I have not had any negative impacts and now I do not have to worry about taking a pill every single day at the exact same time. I have only gotten it recently so I am unaware of all of the impacts, but overall I think that this was a good decision. Especially for my extroverted lifestyle when I am not always home. I cannot wait to see what my future holds with this simple form of birth control.