No scientific evidence supports the claim that the contraceptive implant causes infertility, according to the Central African Association for Family Welfare (ACABEF) and the Madame Domitien University Hospital in Bimbo.
Recently, rumors have been circulating in Bangui and its surrounding areas suggesting that the contraceptive implant causes infertility in women. Be cautious, as there is no scientific basis for this claim.
The contraceptive implant is a method used to prevent pregnancy during sexual intercourse. It is a small plastic rod, about 4 cm long and 2 mm in diameter (the size of a matchstick), inserted just under the skin of women.
Verification:
On February 23, 2023, Madame Bissialo Bertine, Coordinator of the Central African Association for Family Welfare (ACABEF) Clinic, refuted this claim: “The implant does not cause infertility in women. Experience shows that, for over ten years of using these methods, all women who had the implant, when they desire to have children, become pregnant as soon as it is removed,” she stated.
Dr. Jésus Bendot Gueguet Yacka, Obstetrician-Gynecologist and Head of Service at the Mama Domitien University Hospital in Bimbo, also denied this: “I have placed the contraceptive implant in many women, and after its removal, they have had children.”
Further research on sexual health websites confirms that the contraceptive implant is inserted just under the skin and continuously releases small amounts of the progestin, etonogestrel, to suppress ovulation and prevent unwanted pregnancies. However, the implant affects menstrual flow, with some users experiencing no periods during all or part of the three years of use, while others may have irregular or less frequent periods; sometimes very short (less than a day) or longer (up to ten days).
After verification, the claim that the contraceptive implant causes infertility is false.
By AFC
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