Birth Control - Essure

Overview

Essure is a permanent birth control procedure that works with your body to create a natural barrier against pregnancy. This gentle procedure can be performed in a doctor's office in less than 10 minutes.

Essure is covered by most insurance providers, and if the Essure procedure is performed in a doctor's office, depending on your specific insurance plan, payment may be as low as a simple co-pay.

Essure offers women what no birth control ever has

No surgery, burning or anesthesia
No hormones
No slowing down to recover
Performed in less than 10 minutes
Peace of mind - your doctor can confirm when you can rely on Essure for birth control
Trusted by hundreds of thousands of women and doctors for over five years

With Essure, you'll never have to worry about unplanned pregnancy again. Essure is 99.8% effective with zero pregnancies*, making it the most effective form of permanent birth control available.

The Essure procedure is permanent and is NOT reversible. Therefore, you should be sure you do not want children in the future.

About the Procedure

Unlike other permanent birth control, the Essure procedure does not require cutting into the body or the use of radiofrequency energy to burn the fallopian tubes. Instead, an Essure trained doctor inserts soft, flexible inserts through the body’s natural pathways (vagina, cervix, and uterus) and into your fallopian tubes. The very tip of the device remains outside the fallopian tube, which provides you and your doctor with immediate visual confirmation of placement.

During the 3 months following the procedure, your body and the inserts work together to form a natural barrier that prevents sperm from reaching the egg. During this period, you must continue using another form of birth control (other than an IUD).

After three months, it’s time to get an Essure Confirmation Test to verify you’re protected from the worries of unplanned pregnancy. The test uses a dye and special type of x-ray to ensure both that the inserts are in place and that the fallopian tubes are completely blocked.

Unlike birth control pills, patches, rings, and some forms of IUDs, Essure does not contain hormones to interfere with your natural menstrual cycle. Your periods should more or less continue in their natural state.

Benefits of the Essure procedure

No surgery, cutting or burning

The Essure inserts are passed through the body's natural pathways and inserted into the fallopian tubes. Unlike other forms of permanent birth control, there is no cutting into the body, burning, or destruction of the fallopian tubes through the use of radiofrequency energy.

Most effective

Trusted by hundreds of thousands of women and their doctors for over 5 years, the Essure procedure is 99.74% effective, making it the most effective method of permanent birth control. It is the only birth control method with zero pregnancies in clinical trials.

Can be performed in the comfort of a doctor's office

Because there is no cutting or anesthesia required, the Essure procedure can be performed safely and comfortably in your doctor's office.

No anesthesia

The Essure procedure can be performed in your doctor's office without the need for anesthesia. Although some physicians may offer anesthesia, this is not a requirement of the procedure. You should discuss your options with your Essure physician.

No hormones

Unlike many temporary methods of birth control such as birth control pills, the patch, the ring and some IUDs, the Essure inserts do not contain hormones so they will not interfere with your monthly cycle

No slowing down to recover

Most women return to their normal activities in less than a day.

Peace of mind

Unlike other permanent birth control procedures, Essure confirms both that the inserts are in place and that your fallopian tubes are completely blocked, so you can achieve the confidence you want in birth control.

Short procedure time

The Essure procedure takes less than 10 minutes for an Essure trained physician to perform. Most women are on their way in an average of 45 minutes

Covered by insurance

The Essure procedure is covered by most insurance providers. If the procedure is performed in a doctor's office, depending on the insurance plan, your payment may be as low as a simple co-pay.

Safe

The Essure procedure avoids the risks and discomfort of surgical procedures like tubal ligation and vasectomy. Additionally, the silicone-free inserts are made from materials that have been used successfully for many years in cardiac stents and other medical devices that are placed in the body.

Risks of the Essure procedure

No form of birth control should be considered 100% effective
Not all women will achieve successful placement of both inserts
Side effects during or immediately after the procedure may include mild to moderate cramping, nausea/vomiting, dizziness/light-headedness, and bleeding/spotting

Essure Confirmation Test

Peace of mind you deserve – With the Essure Confirmation Test, you can achieve the confidence you want in birth control. Unlike other permanent birth control procedures, the Essure inserts can be seen by x-ray, allowing a doctor to see that the inserts have been correctly placed and fluid cannot flow past them. This confirms that your tubes are completely blocked and you can rely on Essure as your sole form of birth control.

The simple test is given three months after your procedure and usually takes about 30 minutes. Your doctor will discuss the results of your Essure Confirmation Test with you as soon as they are available - usually on the day of your test. Until you receive confirmation directly from your doctor, you must continue using another form of contraception. After that, you can start enjoying the moment—and stop worrying about unplanned pregnancy

*The recommendations and information provided by this Web site are for educational purposes only. This Web site does not contain comprehensive coverage of the topics addressed, and is not a substitute for direct consultation with your health care provider. Always consult a health care provider regarding your specific condition. Trademarks referred to are the property of their respective owners.

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