- [Male] This animation is brought to you
by the SMART Imagebase,
a subscription website where you can download thousands
of medical images and videos,
to use in lectures, courses, presentations,
professional training and more.
For more information,
click on the link in the description.
- [Female] A series of events called the menstrual cycle
happens about once every month
to prepare a woman's body for pregnancy,
changing levels of natural chemicals in the bloodstream
called hormones control these events.
The reproductive organs affected
by these hormones include the vagina,
cervix,
uterus,
fallopian tubes,
and ovaries.
The ovaries produce two main hormones
called estrogen and progesterone.
As the level of estrogen begins to rise.
It causes the normally thick mucus
inside the cervix to thin out.
Estrogen also triggers other hormones
to cause one of the ovaries to release an egg.
This process is called ovulation.
If a woman has sex during this time
a man's reproductive cells called sperm
can pass through the thinner mucus to fertilize an egg.
In the uterus, estrogen causes the lining to thicken
which prepares it to receive a fertilized egg.
Rising progesterone levels,
cause glands in the lining to release fluid
that feeds the fertilized egg.
Progesterone also causes the thinned out mucus
in the cervix to become thick again,
which prevents sperm from passing through.
If an egg hasn't been fertilized
the levels of both estrogen and progesterone begin to fall.
This drop in hormone levels causes menstruation,
a process where the uterus sheds its inner tissue lining
and blood through the vagina.
A progestin implant is a form of birth control
or a contraception.
It prevents pregnancy for up to three years.
The device is implanted under the skin
in a woman's upper arm.
A progestin implant is a matchstick size,
flexible plastic rod containing a progesterone
like hormone called progestin.
It's designed to be able to show up on x-rays.
The implant continually releases progestin in the body.
High progestin levels help prevent the body
from releasing other hormones that cause ovulation.
Without ovulation
there is no egg available for fertilization.
So a woman can't get pregnant.
A second way progestin prevents pregnancy
involves its effect on the mucus in the cervix,
high progestin levels
keep the mucus in the cervix thick enough,
So sperm can't get through it.
A third way progestin prevents pregnancy
involve its influence
on the lining of the uterus.
In contrast to natural progesterone,
progestin is slightly different chemically.
Over time,
it makes the uterine lining thinner instead of thicker.
As a result, if fertilization of an egg does take place
the lining may be too thin for it to stay in the uterus.
So it passes out of the body
with the next menstrual period.
A doctor can insert a progestin implant
during an office visit.
To do this, the doctor will make two marks
with a sterile marker.
One for the insertion site and a second mark
used as a direction guide during insertion.
Then the insertion area will be cleaned with an an septic
and numbed with a local anesthetic.
Next, the doctor will use a special applicator
to puncture the skin with a hollow needle
containing the implant
and slide it beneath the skin.
Finally, the needle will be removed,
leaving the implant behind.
After the implant is placed,
the doctor will ensure proper placement
by feeling for both ends of the implant,
under the skin.
A bandage will be placed over the insertion site.
Menstrual bleeding with a progestin implant
may include changes in bleeding frequency,
bleeding intensity,
and duration of each bleeding period.
Although the implant can be removed sooner,
it must be removed after three years.
A doctor can replace it
with a new implant at that time.
If pregnancy is suspected,
it's important for a woman to see her healthcare provider,
the implant may need to be moved.
A progestin implant is over 99% effective
at preventing pregnancy.
This means less than one out of a hundred women
will become pregnant each year
using this form of birth control.
For more information on any type of birth control
talk to your healthcare provider.