Nexplanon: waiting period before the BC takes effect?

[rosyhips]

So I received the Nexplanon implant about two weeks ago on September 4, after not having been on any hormonal birth control (BC) of any kind in about eight years. However, the implant was inserted outside of my menstruation period (one day before my predicted ovulation date according to my period tracker app, and two weeks after my period starting August 20), and I was told by my doctor that it takes about one week/seven days for the hormones to kick in and for the implant to be at its full 99.5% effectiveness rate against pregnancy.

I've been seeing so many discrepancies online concerning the waiting period, though. On the Nexplanon website, it says that the waiting period to have sex using the implant alone would be seven days:

In some situations, you may need to use a non-hormonal birth control method (such as condoms) for seven days after insertion.

But on Scarleteen, the waiting period before Nexplanon takes effect is stated to be two weeks, instead of the one week listed by the Nexplanon website and the information I was told by my doctor:

A backup method of birth control should be used after insertion of the implant for two weeks before using the implant alone.

Some girls on other ask/BC advice sites have said that they waited at least a month or six weeks before having sex, and there are thousands of other girls stating their fear of getting pregnant after having sex one to two weeks of having the implant in them.

I'm really confused and getting increasingly worried, to be honest. Isn't one week sufficient? Now I'm scared of pregnancy, because although I waited past the seven days, I've had sex with my boyfriend ejaculating inside of me on Day 12 of having the implant inserted and everyday onwards (now it is Day 16, past two weeks), and now I'm afraid that I wasn't protected as fully as I'd have liked to be. Also, my period hasn't come and it was due yesterday (although I'm pretty sure me not getting it is just a side effect of the Nexplanon in my system). I know I can take a pregnancy test for my peace of mind sometime in two weeks, but as of now, it's been really hard to keep calm.

I'd like to think I was/am protected with Nexplanon, but I really want some clarification regarding this issue. Is one week sufficient enough for me to have waited to have sex using the implant alone? Also, in my individual situation, do you think it's worth for me to worry? It's difficult because this is my first time ever having "invisible" birth control and "unprotected" sex, and it's hard to tell if I'll be safe or not because there's no visible indicator of my implant actually working.

Please help, and thanks in advance!

[Heather]

I would rely on Nexplanon's own information. It seems like we're in need of an update to our information, which is going to happen from time to time, and we're not always going to be as current about a medication or device as its own company.

Sorry that we caused you confusion!

I can never figure out what to make of it when you guys ask if you should worry about something, or if it's worth it to worry. Worry doesn't offer anyone any benefits (quite the opposite) and it also doesn't change anything. So, my universal answer will always be that no, it's never "worth it" to worry and there's never a need for worry. Sometimes there's a need to do things differently in the present and future as was done in the past, but that's about it.

Ultimately, sex without safer sex (STI prevention) means opening yourself up to STI risks much, much more than you would with safer sex barriers, so you have to just figure out how you feel about that, especially if both of you aren't current with STI tests and/or haven't been exclusive for at least six months since your last screenings. But as far as pregnancy goes, the implant is one of the most effective methods there is and is as close to 100% effective used alone as we can get when it comes to preventing pregnancy.

[rosyhips]

Heather, thank you so much for the response!

The Nexplanon website's information is what I've been trying to go by aside from my doctor's advice, but of course, Scarleteen is a website that I think has incredibly valuable, pertinent and legitimate information, so it was a cause for concern that there was a difference between the two websites when talking about the implant. Anyway, I'm just glad to have the record set straight because of the varying answers all over the Internet (which you know is a Pandora's box to all of us when it comes to information on and about birth control). I really am grateful for Scarleteen's community and information, so I'm glad that you guys will be willing to help me out in clarifying this issue.

Also, I very much appreciate your second opinion and advice about worrying...I think it's more of a matter for me (and others) to hear it from someone else. While it's never worth worrying, for sure, sometimes it's easier to get caught up in the emotion rather than thinking soundly and logically about the situation. Thank you so much for being the voice of reason in this case; you're awesome.

As for sex without STI prevention, duly noted. In my situation, I've been in my relationship monogamously for more than six months, and we both are aware of STI prevention, so it's something that my boyfriend and I take seriously aside from preventing pregnancy. We'll take more consideration with exposing ourselves to barrier-free situations/sexual encounters, I'm sure. Other than that, it's reassuring to hear of the implant's effectiveness, and I'm glad for it (will continue to use it responsibly).

Thank you again for everything!

[Heather]

You're so welcome!