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Norplant implant now a step closer to U.S. use.


 On April 27, 1989, an advisory committee of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended that the agency approve the Norplant contraceptive implant for sale. A final and favorable FDA decision was expected within the next several months. The nonprofit Population Council developed Norplant which consists of 6 silicone rubber rods inserted beneath the skin of a woman's arm in a 4mm long incision. A local anesthesia is required. The rods are effective for up to 5 years, at which time they are removed in a procedure similar to that used to insert the rods. On the other hand, they decrease in effectiveness for women weighing 150 lbs. The most attractive advantage of Norplant is that it delivers progestin directly and continuously into the bloodstream in low doses with no action required by the woman. Since Norplant uses a low dose progestin, which is also an active ingredient of many oral contraceptives (OCs), its side effects are similar to OCs' side effects, such as bleeding irregularities. In tests, these irregularities accounted for 20-25% of women discontinuing using Norplant. Except for improved barrier methods, no additional improvement or additions to the availability of contraceptives in the US occurred in the 1980s. Injectable contraceptives will not be approved for many years in the US and the morning after pills have encountered political and development barriers. Additionally, the pharmaceutical industry has scaled back on contraceptive research and has withdrawn all but 1 IUD brands from the market, because of fears of litigation.
