Caption

Contraceptive implant surgery. Doctor uses a white stencil to draw lines on a woman's inner arm, to mark six implant sites. Six Norplant contraceptive implants will then be inserted under the skin, positioned in a fan- pattern. A local anaesthetic is used on the area. The implants are small tubes filled with female hormone (levonorgestrel: a type of progesterone). They are designed to give a 5-year sustained release of hormone into the blood, providing a method of long term birth control for women. Fertility returns soon after the implants are removed. This method may also be suitable for women who are unable to use oral contraceptives. Norplant was withdrawn in 2002.