Drug side effects
etonogestrel Side Effects
The reactions most often reported to the FDA for etonogestrel (also sold as Nexplanon), with demographics, serious outcomes, and reporting trends.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 46,939
- FAERS reports
Data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), 2004 to 2025. A FAERS report records a temporal association, not proof of cause. See our methodology for how figures are compiled and de-duplicated.
The most commonly reported side effects of etonogestrel come from 46,939 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.
This page analyzes 46,939 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for etonogestrel (Nexplanon): the reactions reported most often, who reported them, serious outcomes such as hospitalization, and year-over-year trends. A FAERS report does not prove the drug caused the effect, and report volume tracks how widely a drug is used, not how likely an effect is for any one person. Educational information, not medical advice.
Total Reports
46,939
Reports Mentioning Death
94
0.2% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death
Hospitalizations
1,645
3.5% of reports
Top Indication
Contraception
Most Reported Adverse Reactions
Who Reports Side Effects
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Reporting Trend by Year
Reactions in Death Reports
Top reactions reported in 94 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DEATH | 24 |
| FOETAL EXPOSURE DURING PREGNANCY | 15 |
| PREMATURE BABY | 10 |
| DEATH NEONATAL | 8 |
| COMPLETED SUICIDE | 7 |
| PULMONARY EMBOLISM | 7 |
| CEREBELLAR HAEMORRHAGE | 6 |
| HEADACHE | 4 |
| MATERNAL DRUGS AFFECTING FOETUS | 4 |
| THROMBOSIS | 4 |
| VAGINAL HAEMORRHAGE | 4 |
| ADVERSE EVENT | 3 |
| ANXIETY | 3 |
| FOETAL DEATH | 3 |
| PREGNANCY WITH CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICE | 3 |
| ABORTION INDUCED | 2 |
| ABORTION SPONTANEOUS | 2 |
| CARDIAC FAILURE | 2 |
| CARDIO-RESPIRATORY ARREST | 2 |
| CEREBROVASCULAR ACCIDENT | 2 |
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Top reactions in 1,645 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| COMPLICATION ASSOCIATED WITH DEVICE | 164 |
| UNINTENDED PREGNANCY | 139 |
| PREGNANCY WITH IMPLANT CONTRACEPTIVE | 129 |
| COMPLICATION OF DEVICE REMOVAL | 113 |
| DEVICE DISLOCATION | 104 |
| NAUSEA | 98 |
| HEADACHE | 94 |
| DEPRESSION | 85 |
| WEIGHT INCREASED | 84 |
| ANXIETY | 79 |
| PAIN | 75 |
| INCORRECT PRODUCT ADMINISTRATION DURATION | 74 |
| VOMITING | 74 |
| PULMONARY EMBOLISM | 72 |
| VAGINAL HAEMORRHAGE | 71 |
| ABDOMINAL PAIN | 65 |
| DIZZINESS | 65 |
| FATIGUE | 64 |
| CHEST PAIN | 58 |
| SURGERY | 58 |
Nearby, Related Medications
What the FAERS Data Reveals About etonogestrel Side Effects
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 46,939 voluntary reports linked to etonogestrel and its brand equivalents (Nexplanon), spanning 2004 through 2025. Of those, 94 (0.2%) listed death as an outcome and 1,645 (3.5%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Contraception.
Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 98% were female and 0% male; age distribution skews toward 18-44, with 21,245 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is product quality issue with 5,554 submissions, followed by complication associated with device and device difficult to use.
How to read these numbers
FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice, speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.
Drugs With a Similar FAERS Report Volume
Other medications with a total FDA adverse-event report count closest to etonogestrel's 46,939.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.