Hormonal Injections

Depo-Provera - ("The Shot") - Medroxprogesterone

Overview

Depo-Provera is an injectable method of birth control that is given as a shot. It protects against pregnancy for a full three months. Each injection contains progestin, a hormone much like the one women produce during the last two weeks of the menstrual cycle. The shot is given in the upper arm or in the buttocks. Depo-Provera works by preventing ovulation--the release of an egg from the ovary and also the ripening of the egg. If no egg is released, no pregnancy can occur. The hormone also thickens the mucus in the cervix, making it difficult for sperm to enter the uterus.

To get the maximum coverage from Depo-Provera you must visit your health care provider or clinic every 13 weeks for the injection. You must have your first injection within five days of the beginning of your menstrual cycle to ensure that you are not pregnant.

Before you use Depo-Provera consider this

Depo-Provera is easy to use and highly effective method. You will have lighter periods and fewer menstrual cramps. The shot does not contain estrogen, which is thought to increase the risk of heart problems and stroke. Depo-Provera is very effective for those women who have a hard time remembering to take a birth control pill every day. Unlike the pill, Depo-Provera is Immediately effective after injection; there is no waiting period..

Using Depo-Provera will not protect you from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Safer sex practice means you should use a condom along with Depo-Provera if you are at all at risk of any STDs--including but not limited to HIV. While you don't have to remember to take a pill every day, you do have to visit your clinic or health care provider on time every 13 weeks for your injection; and some women complain of soreness in the area of the injection for a couple of days afterward.

The percentage of pregnancies in the first year of use is reported as 0.3 percent. That means that among women who use Depo-Provera only about two to three out of every 1000 will become pregnant in the first year. To esnure this level of protection, you must get your shot on time.

Like any medication, Depo-Provera can cause uwanted and/or unpleasant side effects.
-Irregular periods: 70 to 80 percent of women will have irregular bleeding during their first year of use. This means spotting and bleeding in between your periods. After one year of use, some women stop having a period all together. After two years that number goes up to 75 percent. This is not harmful to you, but it does make it difficult to know if the contraception has failed and you are in fact pregnant. You should make sure you are not pregnant with a pregnancy test.
-Some women report breast tenderness. It may be uncomfortable, but it is not considered to be dangerous.
-Weight Gain: On average women gain about three to five pounds a year while using Depo-Provera.
-Bone Loss: Depo-Provera can cause bone loss; to protect your bones against bone loss, (osteoporosis), get regular exercise and take a calcium supplement at night. This side effect will disappear when you stop using Depo-Provera.
- Depo-Provera can also cause headaches, dizziness, fatigue, nausea and anxiety.

Ask Your Health Care Provider

Seek medical attention through your health care provider or clinic if you have chest pain, severe vomiting or heavy bleeding; if you are coughing up blood; if your leg or arm becomes suddenly numb; if you have severe dizziness, pain in the calf, severe pain in your lower abdomen, yellow skin tone or a bad headache. These are dangerous side effects and need to be attended to immediately.