A new contraceptive implant is in development in the United States. It would allow women to better control their fertility, using a remote control to activate or deactivate the device.
A contraceptive implant that could be activated and deactivated at will by means of a remote control. It is the revolutionary object that an American startup, MicroCHIPS, is currently developing with the support from the Bill Gates Foundation and MIT.
Facilitated contraception
While the average lifespan of a contraceptive implant is only five years, this chip, which can be placed under the skin of the abdomen or arm, will be made to last 16 years. It will measure 20 millimeters in length and 20 in width, will dispense 30 micrograms of levonorgestrel, a hormone commonly used in contraceptives.
If the system works, it could make it easier for many women to take birth control pills because they will no longer have to go to the doctor to have their implants removed. This will make it easier for them to choose when to have a child and to better control their contraception.
By 2018
Research still needs to be done, but the implant should be tested within a year, with the goal of commercializing it by 2018. While the FamilyPlanning 2020 initiative was recently placed, the MicroCHIPS implant, if it works, could play an important role.
This project, which brings together heads of government, civil society groups and numerous associations, aims to bring contraception to more than 120 million women by 2020, by making its access and use easier. A goal that the implant of the statup could help achieve.
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