Contraceptive implants failure: Who is to blame?

The Telegraph reported two women who became pregnant despite having contraceptives implanted in their bodies.

Kimberly Heales and Jane Wilkinson, both 22 and from the UK, had life-turning events after having known that they conceived despite having received contraceptive implants for some time.

Heales gave birth last year while Wilkinson is expected to deliver her first child later this month.

They are among the 82,000 women who had been fitted the popular device-- Implanon--last year that claims 99% effectiveness for reproduction control.

Heales was initially devastated upon learning that she was more than six months on the way when she complained of stomach upset. Entertaining pregnancy, her attending doctor did a pregnancy test that revealed a positive result. She felt totally numb and cried upon learning the news. She then entertained the idea of abortion but backed off upon learning the complications from a nurse. Now she is happy raising her one year old daughter.

Wilkinson, on the other hand, was implanted the device as an alternative because oral contraceptive pills induced her migraine attacks. She had planned on pursuing her engineering career after university but things changed upon learning she was pregnant.

The report said that upon further examination, only the scar tissue was found on the implantation sites of these women. No device was found on ultrasound. Blood examination revealed none of the hormone progesterone was detected.

Both are planning to take legal measures for their pregnancy.

According to Stephanie Prior of Anthony Gold Solicitors, "What we are talking about is not a failing of the device, but about the way it is inserted."

"It seems that too often these are being implanted by doctors without sufficient training, in busy clinics where they are not spending enough time ensuring it is properly placed," Prior added.

The Guardian also reported increased pregnancy rates among the teens due to contraceptive implant failure following botched procedures. Sexually active girls as young as 12 years old were prescribed with the device.

Over the last 11 years, 584 unwanted pregnancies were recorded and over one million implants had been sold in the UK.

Contraceptive implants remain the strongest methods of reproduction control where poor patient compliance is an impediment, according to the manufacturer.