Almost 600 women became pregnant despite using the contraceptive implant Implanon. The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency says that 584 women have become pregnant in spite of using the device since it was first launched in 1999.
The agency adds that there have been over 1,600 separate complaints in that time, a large proportion of which have come from health professionals, who say that the device is difficult to insert and has caused scarring. It has also been reported that settlements amounting to £200,000 have been paid to seven women who either became pregnant or suffered injury as a result of having the implant fitted.
The MHRA says that the safety of Implanon remains under close review despite the implant having been replaced by manufacturers MSD. Last year it launched a new device, Nexplanon, which is designed to be inserted more easily and should show up more clearly on X-rays and CT scans.
A spokesman for the MHRA said: “The reports we received from health care professionals and consumers played a strong role in the update of the device.” There has been a rapid increase in the use of contraceptive implants with 82,000 cases in 2010, compared to just 16,000 five years earlier.
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