What's the difference between Implanon and Nexplanon?

Implanon was discontinued by the manufacturer in 2010 and replaced with Nexplanon (since the implant is good for up to 5 years, no one should still have an Implanon at this point). The new version is easier for a health care provider to put in and remove. Nexplanon is an implant, just like Implanon, but there are two differences.

First, the Nexplanon implant is radiopaque. We promise it still has nothing to do with tracking you—just tracking the implant itself, which will now show up in an X-ray, computed tomography (CT scan), ultrasound scanning, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In other words, it’ll be easier for your health care provider to make sure the implant is in the right place after it’s inserted and before it’s removed.

Second, insertion is even quicker and easier due to a new applicator. (Implanon insertion was pretty painless, so that’s impressive.)