THIRTY-TWO women in Ireland reported that they became pregnant while using a contraceptive implant device, the Irish Medicines Board has disclosed.
It was responding to reports in Britain that more than 500 women using the Implanon device made by MSD reported they had become pregnant unintentionally.
Channel 4 news reported that 1,600 women complained about the device to the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency, the medicines watchdog in Britain – including 584 who said they had unwanted pregnancies.
The device, inserted under the skin, slowly releases the female hormone progestogen to prevent pregnancy for up to three years.
The board said the risk of unintended pregnancy and effects linked to Implanon’s insertion or removal were “well known and detailed”.
Implanon was replaced last October with a new generation product, Nexplanon, which has a new applicator and can be detected by X-ray or CT scan.
