--- title: Remote Control Birth Control Is the Future of Contraceptives description: This startup hopes to give women ultimate control over their contraceptive device canonical: https://time.com/2963130/the-future-of-birth-control-remote-control-fertility/ author: Eliana Dockterman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-07-07T18:20:41.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T08:55:36.494Z article:section: Health og:title: Remote Control Birth Control Is the Future of Contraceptives og:description: This startup hopes to give women ultimate control over their contraceptive device og:url: https://time.com/2963130/the-future-of-birth-control-remote-control-fertility/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte5835ee5f6f3cebb/69869ab106f2c11f0f32fcc8/birth-control.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: ontrol og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Remote Control Birth Control Is the Future of Contraceptives twitter:description: This startup hopes to give women ultimate control over their contraceptive device twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte5835ee5f6f3cebb/69869ab106f2c11f0f32fcc8/birth-control.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Future of Birth Control: Remote Control Fertility  by [Eliana Dockterman](https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Correspondent Jul 7, 2014 6:20 PM UTC  Birth Control Choices Birth Control ChoicesJenny Swanson—Getty Images  by [Eliana Dockterman](https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Correspondent Jul 7, 2014 6:20 PM UTC We may be just years away from the longest-lasting and most hassle-free contraceptive ever invented. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has announced that it is backing a Massachusetts biotech company that is developing an implantable contraceptive that can be activated and deactivated by the user, the MIT Technology Review [reports](http://www.technologyreview.com/news/528121/a-contraceptive-implant-with-remote-control/). [Current contraceptive implants](http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/birth-control/birth-control-implant-implanon)—inserted into a woman’s upper arm where they release the hormone progestin—last about three years and are the size of a matchstick. MicroCHIPS Inc. is building a wireless device that is only 20 millimeters long and that would last 16 years. The chip, which would lie under the skin in the buttocks, upper arm or abdomen, slowly releases levonorgestrel, a hormone used in some types of the Pill, in some types of hormonal IUDs and in Plan B. If the chip works as intended, women could “deactivate” their birth control without a trip to the doctor, which can be a major barrier for women who don’t have easy access to health care, such as in the developing world. The chip’s long lifespan would also minimize doctor’s visits: Currently no type of hormonal birth control lasts longer than five years. The non-hormonal copper IUD lasts 12\. (Read [more about IUDs here](http://time.com/the-best-form-of-birth-control-is-the-one-no-one-is-using/).) The device is currently being tested for safety, efficacy and security. MicroCHIPS hopes to introduce the product, which would need FDA approval to be used in the United States, in 2018. \[[_MIT Technology Review_](http://www.technologyreview.com/news/528121/a-contraceptive-implant-with-remote-control/)\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/2963130/the-future-of-birth-control-remote-control-fertility/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/2963130/the-future-of-birth-control-remote-control-fertility/"},"headline":"The Future of Birth Control: Remote Control Fertility","datePublished":"2014-07-07T18:20:41.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:55:36.494Z","description":"This startup hopes to give women ultimate control over their contraceptive device","url":"https://time.com/2963130/the-future-of-birth-control-remote-control-fertility/","keywords":["Birth Control","Living","health"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte5835ee5f6f3cebb/69869ab106f2c11f0f32fcc8/birth-control.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eliana Dockterman","jobTitle":"Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte5835ee5f6f3cebb/69869ab106f2c11f0f32fcc8/birth-control.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"ontrol","caption":"Birth Control Choices","creditText":"Jenny Swanson—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/birth-control/","name":"Birth Control"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/2963130/the-future-of-birth-control-remote-control-fertility/","name":"The Future of Birth Control: Remote Control Fertility"}}]}] ```