Thousands of women report difficulties when using Implanon

With millions of women receiving birth control pills, or contraceptives, companies are continuously producing what is believed to be the next best product. Implanon, an implantable contraceptive device, has been shown to be less than effective at pregnancy prevention, but also causes internal bleeding according to British health officials.

Because of these health risks, Merck is replacing the Implanon devices in Europe with Nexplanon, a device that is not approved for use in the United States.

Since the device has been approved for use, nearly 600 unwanted pregnancies have been reported. Of the nearly 600 unwanted pregnancies, only 9 women explained to have difficulty using the device.

Additionally, the health agency received more than 1,600 reports on women experience severe negative side effects from using Implanon.

The British National Health Service has compensated women who received injuries from using this device by paying hundreds of thousands of dollars.

While no contraceptive can be 100 percent effective, Merck believes Implanon to still be one of the most effective.

The device becomes much less effective when not issued and implanted by a certified physician, and this may be a primary cause of many unwanted pregnancies.