Who can use the implant?
Most women can use the contraceptive implant, however it might not be suitable for some people. Your doctor or nurse will talk about this with you.

You should not use the implant if you:

do not want your periods to change
take other medicines that may affect the implant
have unexplained bleeding in between periods or after sex
have severe liver disease
have breast cancer or have had it in the past
have a medical condition that may affect which contraception you can use – talk to your doctor or nurse about this
What if I’m taking other medicines?
Some medicines can stop the implant from working.

These include:

medication for HIV
medication for epilepsy
complementary remedies, such as St John’s Wort
some antibiotics, such as rifabutin or rifampicin
If you’re taking any of these medicines, you’ll need additional contraception. You may wish to change your form of contraception to one that isn’t affected by your medication.

Always tell your doctor that you’re using an implant if you’re prescribed any medicine.

Side effects of the contraceptive implant
The contraceptive implant may cause side effects. You should consider these carefully before deciding if it’s right for you.

Disrupted periods
Your periods may change significantly while using a contraceptive implant. Around 20% of people using the implant will have no bleeding, but almost 50% will have infrequent or prolonged bleeding. Bleeding patterns often remain irregular.

Speak to your GP practice if:
you can’t feel your implant
the implant feels like it’s changed shape
you notice any changes to your skin or feel any pain around where the implant is fitted
you become pregnant
Where can you get the implant?
You can get the contraceptive implant for free from:

sexual health services
GP practices that provide contraception
If you’re under 16
Anyone can get contraception for free in Scotland, even if you’re under 16.

If you’re under 16, they might encourage you to tell your parents, but you do not have to.

The only time a professional might need to tell someone else is if they think you’re at risk of harm, such as abuse. The risk would need to be serious. They’d usually talk about it with you first.

I Found a Strange Metal Object in My Husband’s Pocket and My Mind Immediately Went Somewhere Dark

I was just doing laundry.

That’s literally how it started.

I grabbed my husband’s pants from the basket, checked the pockets like I always do, and felt something hard tucked deep inside. At first, I thought it was loose change or maybe a screw from the garage. But when I pulled it out, I froze for a second.

It didn’t look ordinary.

The object was metallic, heavy for its size, with a sharp tapered end and a threaded base that looked intentionally designed. Not broken. Not random. Purposeful. The kind of thing that instantly makes your brain start filling in blanks before logic even has a chance to step in.

And honestly, my imagination spiraled fast.

I stood there in the laundry room staring at it while every possible scenario ran through my head. Was it part of something dangerous? Was it connected to some secret hobby? Was there something my husband hadn’t been telling me?

The worst part was his reaction when I asked him about it.

He barely reacted.

He shrugged and casually said he had no idea how it got there.

That should’ve calmed me down, but somehow it did the opposite. His indifference made the whole thing feel even stranger. If he didn’t know what it was, then why was it in his pocket? And if he did know, why act so unconcerned?

For the next hour, I couldn’t let it go.

I sat there turning the object over in my hands like some detective trying to solve a case. The metal felt cold and strangely precise, almost industrial. I kept noticing little details that made it seem more mysterious. There was a faint scratch near the tip. The threading looked deliberate. Every tiny feature fed my paranoia a little more.

At some point, I realized I wasn’t just examining the object anymore.

I was examining my entire marriage through it.

It’s strange how quickly the mind can build stories out of silence. One unexplained thing becomes evidence. A vague answer becomes suspicion. Privacy suddenly starts looking like secrecy.

And the longer I sat there alone with my thoughts, the worse the stories became.

Then everything changed because of one tiny detail.

I held the object closer to the light and noticed faint markings engraved near the base. I squinted, trying to read them properly, and suddenly it clicked.

It was an archery field point.

A practice tip for an arrow.

Not a weapon. Not evidence of betrayal. Not some hidden criminal secret.

Just a piece of sports equipment.

The entire mystery collapsed instantly.

But weirdly, relief wasn’t the first emotion I felt.

It was embarrassment.

Deep embarrassment.

Because while I had been mentally building entire conspiracy theories in my head, my husband had apparently just picked up a quiet little hobby he never really talked about. Something peaceful. Something private. Something that probably helped him unwind from daily stress.

And I had somehow transformed it into proof that something terrible was happening behind my back.

Sitting there holding that now harmless little piece of metal, I realized how dangerous assumptions can become when fear takes over before communication does.

Sometimes the scariest stories aren’t the ones other people hide from us.

They’re the ones we secretly create ourselves.

One unanswered question. One strange object. One moment of silence. And suddenly the people we love start looking unfamiliar through the lens of our own insecurity.

That tiny archery tip ended up teaching me something far bigger than what it actually was.

Trust can unravel surprisingly fast when imagination replaces conversation.

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