HEALTH : Contraceptive Implant OK Seen
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WASHINGTON — Federal approval is expected soon for a new contraceptive implant for women that would provide protection against pregnancy for up to five years, government and industry sources say.
Approval of Norplant would mark the most important birth control advance since oral contraceptives and the intrauterine device, or IUD. It would be the first long-acting, hormonal contraceptive available in the United States.
The Norplant method involves implanting six silicone rubber capsules, each about the size of a wooden matchstick, in a woman’s upper arm. The capsules contain a contraceptive hormone that is released slowly over time. The capsules are implanted in a minor surgical procedure, and the contraceptive effects are reversed immediately with removal.
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