Background: Women with long-acting, reversible contraceptive devices inserted may choose to remove them prior to their planned expiry dates.
Objective: The objective of this study was to explore Australian women's experiences with the etonogestrel subdermal contraceptive implant (Implanon NXT) and why they had it removed early.
Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 women between June 2013 and January 2014. Transcriptions of the audio-taped interviews were analysed using a constant comparative analysis framework.
Results: Two core themes of participants' responses that were identified in this study were influences on choice of contraception, which included convenience and information sources; and influences on removal of contraception, which included side effects and their negative impacts on relationships and financial costs.
Discussion: This study highlights that women's experiences with side effects contribute to the early removal of long-acting contraceptive devices such as Implanon NXT. This study emphasises the importance of general practitioners (GPs) in providing comprehensive information about the benefits and potential side effects associated with using these implants.