Common questions about Essure

Essure is the most effective* permanent birth control available. Essure is a surgery-free and hormone-free permanent birth control procedure that places soft, flexible inserts in your fallopian tubes. These inserts work with your body to form a natural barrier that permanently prevents pregnancy. Learn more about Essure.

Essure is 99.83% effective*. That’s more effective than any form of permanent birth control, including tubal ligation. 

See how Essure compares to other forms of birth control.

Essure has been FDA-approved and available in the US since 2002 and has been trusted by over 600,000 women and their doctors worldwide.

For women who want a permanent birth control solution, Essure is the most effective* permanent birth control available. Unlike other permanent birth control methods, Essure is surgery-free and has a faster recovery. Additionally, Essure does not contain hormones that may interfere with your body’s natural processes. Learn more about how Essure compares to other methods of birth control.

When considering any form of permanent birth control, you should be sure that you are done having children. Essure is a great option because you have the reassurance of permanent birth control without surgery of other permanent birth control methods or the hassle and hormones of many temporary methods of birth control. Find out if Essure is right for you.

A doctor places the soft, flexible inserts into your fallopian tubes through the natural pathways of your vagina and cervix, so no incision is necessary. 

Over the next three months, your body works with the Essure inserts to form a natural barrier within your fallopian tubes. This barrier prevents sperm from reaching the egg so that pregnancy cannot occur. During this three-month period, you must continue to use another form of birth control.

After three months you’ll have an Essure Confirmation Test to provide you with the confidence that you are protected from unplanned pregnancy. This simple test confirms that the inserts are in place and your tubes are fully blocked so you can rely on Essure for permanent birth control.

Learn more about how Essure works.

The inserts are made of a polyester fiber, nickel-titanium and stainless steel alloy. This is the same material that has proven to be safe in heart stents and hundreds of other medical devices. This material is flexible, so the inserts bend and conform to the fallopian tubes while remaining securely in place.

No, the inserts cannot be detected by airport security or metal detectors. The amount of nickel-titanium and stainless steel alloy contained in the inserts is very small.

True nickel allergies are not as common as many people think. A good test is whether your skin reacts to the metal rivets in Levi’s® jeans, which are made from nickel. The amount of nickel released every day by an Essure insert is very, very small—less than one-thousandth of the amount in the average daily food intake. In the Essure clinical trials, no adverse reactions to nickel were reported. But if you have questions about a possible nickel allergy, talk with your doctor before scheduling your procedure.

Some women report mild discomfort or cramping, similar to a normal monthly cycle during or after the procedure.

No, you will not be able to feel the Essure inserts once they have been placed in your fallopian tubes. The inserts are soft and flexible and are designed to bend and conform to the fallopian tubes.

No, since the Essure inserts are placed in the fallopian tubes, your partner will not be able to feel the Essure inserts.

As with all procedures, there are risks and considerations associated with Essure:

• No form of birth control should be considered 100 percent effective.
• Not all women will achieve successful placement of both inserts.
• Side effects during or immediately following the procedure may include mild-to-moderate cramping, nausea/vomiting, dizziness/light-headedness, bleeding and/or spotting.
• For a complete list of considerations, see the patient information booklet.

Yes, Essure avoids the risks, discomfort and recovery time of surgical procedures such as tubal ligation and vasectomy. Additionally, the inserts are made of the same material that has been proven to be safe in heart stents and hundreds of other medical devices. Learn more about how Essure compares to other methods of birth control.

Essure is covered by major health insurance providers, including Medicaid. Find out how to verify your insurance benefits.

No. Like other forms of permanent birth control, including tubal ligation and vasectomy, Essure should not be considered reversible. Before choosing Essure, you should be certain that you are done having children.

You can have the Essure procedure six weeks after delivery, but not immediately following delivery. Unlike other forms of permanent birth control, there is no slowing down to recover, so you can get back to your family right away.

Most women go home within 45 minutes of the Essure procedure and return to normal activities in less than a day.

Yes, you will still have your normal menstrual period. Some women report slightly lighter or heavier bleeding than usual, but these changes might be the result of discontinuing hormone-based birth control such as the Pill and returning to your normal cycle.

Since Essure does not contain hormones, it should not cause weight gain.

You can resume sexual intercourse whenever you feel comfortable doing so. Remember, you must use another form of birth control until your Essure Confirmation Test confirms that your fallopian tubes are blocked and you can rely on Essure for permanent birth control.

Three months after your Essure procedure, you will have an Essure Confirmation Test to provide you with the confidence that you are protected from unplanned pregnancy. During this simple test, a special dye is introduced into your uterus and viewed on an x-ray to confirm that the inserts are in place and your fallopian tubes are fully blocked. Once you receive verification from your doctor, you can rely on Essure for permanent birth control. Learn more about the Essure Confirmation Test.

Yes. The Essure Confirmation Test verifies that your fallopian tubes are completely blocked and the Essure inserts are properly in place. Therefore, until your doctor performs the test and confirms that you can begin relying on Essure, you should not consider yourself protected from unplanned pregnancy and must continue to use another form of birth control. Learn more about the Essure Confirmation Test.

Yes, it is safe to have an MRI. Because the inserts are radiopaque (shows up on x-rays), they will show up on the images and may block some areas that the doctor wants to see. If you need an MRI after your Essure procedure, please give your radiologist your patient ID card and let the doctor know that you have the Essure inserts in your fallopian tubes so that adjustments can be made to take a good image.