T O P I C R E V I E W
myrubydangle
Member # 96091
posted 06-21-2012 12:16 AM
I have had Implanon for a little over a year, but because of the side effects (bleeding for 6 weeks)I want it taken out. I spoke with my husband and he is willing to do Natural Family planning which I have been practicing the past week or so. I chart using fertility friend. The problem is we have had unprotected sex the past few days and I found some information that would suggest we needed to abstain from sex for a week before removal. I cannot cancel my appointment now and I really do want the implant out. (Tomorrow is the only day I can do it)So what do you think? I understand sperm can live in the body for 3-4 days and 7 at the most. [ 06-21-2012, 12:16 AM: Message edited by: myrubydangle ]
Heather
Member # 3
posted 06-21-2012 10:37 AM
Well, first up, you need to know that you won't be able to do accurate charting for probably at least a few months: in other words, your body has to adjust to getting away from the implant, so it'll likely be at least a few months before you can even start to chart well, and likely a few more before you can have cycles consistent enough for NFP to be effective for you. In terms of having your implant removed and the timing with intercourse before, I'd simply ask your healthcare provider what their protocol is. Why don't you call them and ask?
myrubydangle
Member # 96091
posted 06-22-2012 11:06 AM
Thank you for your response, I am aware that it wont be accurate for at least 6 months, the main reason I was doing the charting was to get used to doing it at the same time everyday and reading my own chart. I asked the doctor who removed it how long the hormones stay in the body and she didn't know an exact answer so she gave me a range from a few weeks to a few months. But I was getting mixed information from other websites. Some said you were supposed to abstain 7 days before hand and some didn't. I would think they would have told me such crucial information. I also read that some women got pregnant right away (within the first week). Again, thank you for your reply. I assume that I can take a pregnancy test next month if it bothers me so much. I do not think I have to have a period to get pregnant as long as I ovulate.
Heather
Member # 3
posted 06-22-2012 11:18 AM
I'd say that information is mixed, and your doc said what she did, because this really varies a lot when it comes to individual bodies. Anecdotally and clinically, it's clear some people get back to their own natural cycles in weeks, while others find they're still all over the place six months later. It really is all over the place, though I would say experiencing impact more than six months after ending a hormonal method is unusual. I'd say -- and this is educated guessing, but also based on the info for Implanon and what I know about human reproduction -- that because sperm can live within your body for potentially as long as a week, you'd want to wait at least a week. But I'd also say that becoming pregnant RIGHT after Implanon removal from intercourse that occurred before removal strikes me as very unlikely, especially since one of the big ways the implant works is to change cervical discharges which make it very difficult for sperm cells to reach the fallopian tubes, which would make them hanging around for a while seem awfully iffy.