etonogestrel Side Effects
Also known as: Nexplanon
Analysis of 46,939 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 2004 to 2025.
Total Reports
46,939
Death-Related
94
0.2% of reports
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 no adverse event with 9,909 submissions, followed by product quality issue and complication associated with device.
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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.