Adverse Effects of Inadequate Prescription of the Gestrinone Implant (“Beauty Chip”)

Abstract

This article aims to describe the health adverse effects associated with the inappropriate prescription of the hormonal implant gestrinone, an anabolic steroid that has gained popularity in Brazil as the "beauty chip," despite controversies regarding its safety. It is an integrative review using the BVSalud, ScienceDirect databases, the official FEBRASGO platform, and Google Scholar, selecting articles published between 2019 and 2024. The findings indicate that, although the implant is popularly associated with aesthetics, it is not a "chip," and studies on gestrinone do not support aesthetic outcomes. The side effects, more common in young women, include acne, hirsutism, clitoromegaly, menstrual irregularities, infertility, alopecia, voice changes, as well as psychological issues such as anxiety and depression, and serious risks like stroke and heart attack. Thus, given the controversies surrounding the use of gestrinone implants and their implications, the Brazilian Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Associations (Febrasgo) and the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (SBEM) have issued a recommendation against the use of gestrinone implants, highlighting the urgent need for effective regulations on the distribution and prescription of these implants, along with further rigorous studies investigating the applicability of this implant.  

Keywords: “gestrinone,” “drug implants,” “adverse effects.”