--- title: Your IUD and Implant Last Much Longer Than They Claim, Study Says description: Two contraceptives—the intrauterine device (IUD) and the implant—last much longer than they are currently recommended, finds new research canonical: https://time.com/3698739/iud-implant-last-longer/ author: Alexandra Sifferlin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-02-08T13:00:25.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T04:12:39.486Z article:section: Health og:title: Your IUD and Implant Last Much Longer Than They Claim, Study Says og:description: Two contraceptives—the intrauterine device (IUD) and the implant—last much longer than they are currently recommended, finds new research og:url: https://time.com/3698739/iud-implant-last-longer/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfffc9dffd9430b02/69877df65f570f94ccb1521e/iud.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: IUD birthcontrol og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Your IUD and Implant Last Much Longer Than They Claim, Study Says twitter:description: Two contraceptives—the intrauterine device (IUD) and the implant—last much longer than they are currently recommended, finds new research twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfffc9dffd9430b02/69877df65f570f94ccb1521e/iud.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Your IUD and Implant Last Much Longer Than They Claim, Study Says > Sponsored content. 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Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Feb 8, 2015 1:00 PM UTC  Intrauterine device --- Image by © Timothy Hogan/Corbis Intrauterine device --- Image by © Timothy Hogan/Corbis Photo Illustration by Mia Tramz for TIME; Corbis by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Feb 8, 2015 1:00 PM UTC Two highly effective contraceptives—the intrauterine device(IUD) and the implant—actually last much longer than they are currently recommended, according to new research. In a [new study](http://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/Abstract/publishahead/Use%5Fof%5Fthe%5FEtonogestrel%5FImplant%5Fand%5FLevonorgestrel.99206.aspx) published in the journal _Obstetrics & Gynecology_, researchers discovered that the hormonal IUD and the implant are highly effective a year after they are currently approved for use. **MORE:** [The IUD Answer: Why The Best Form of Birth Control is the One No One Uses](http://time.com/the-best-form-of-birth-control-is-the-one-no-one-is-using/) The researchers followed 237 women who were using an implant like Implanon and Nexplanon and 263 women using the Mirena hormonal IUD. The implants are currently approved for three years, and the hormonal IUD used in the study is approved for five. (There is also a non-hormonal IUD that is approved for 12 years, but it was not included in the current study.) All the women were between the ages of 18 and 45 and their contraceptives were within six months of expiring before they enrolled in the study. The women were informed of the pregnancy risk associated with using their device longer than recommended, and the researchers called them for followup every 6 months for 36 months or until the women had their device removed. By the end of the trial period, none of the women using the implant were pregnant and there was one pregnancy among the women using the IUD. Still, the failure rate was similar to the failure rate of the IUD when used during the five-year period (which is [under 1%](http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/unintendedpregnancy/contraception.htm)). The study is still ongoing, and the researchers plan to recruit up to 800 women and ultimately test whether the IUDs and implants were effective for up to three years after their current FDA-approved duration. The benefit of being able to use the implant and IUD for a longer period of time is that it could reduce costs for individuals and insurance. The longer use also makes the IUD and implant more convenient for women, since maintenance is reduced. Though the data is preliminary, the researchers say they believe that the hormonal IUD and the implant can both be used for an additional year longer than the FDA recommends. That doesn’t mean you should extend your own use of the contraceptives without talking to your doctor. 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