Types of Birth Control Injections

When you are choosing a method of birth control, ease is probably a factor in your decision. Birth control injections do not require a pill every day, and you only need 1 shot every few weeks. However, there are not many choices in birth control injections. Depo-provera is the most common, and you only need 4 shots every year. A monthly option, Lunelle, is no longer available to women in the United States.

Hormones

Both Depo-provera and Lunelle use synthetic hormones. Lunelle uses both estrogen and progestin, while Depo-provera uses a type of progestin called depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate, or DMPA. Each of these hormones prevents pregnancy by working in three ways: preventing ovulation, thickening the cervical mucus and preventing implantation. Depo-provera and Lunelle have the same accuracy rate as other hormone birth controls, which is 99%.

Depo-Provera

Depo-provera is given by a doctor every 11 to 13 weeks. The shot is injected either in your upper arm or your behind, and it is given within the first 5 days of your menstrual bleeding. The cost of Depo-provera is based on the price of the drug and your doctor's visits. According to the American Pregnancy Association, the primary doctor visit can cost between $50 to $200, a follow-up cost between $20 and $40 and the shot from $30 to $75.

Lunelle

Lunelle is another type of birth control injection given every 28 to 30 days by a doctor. Like Depo-provera, Lunelle is injected into either your upper arm or your behind. A doctor visit can range from $50 to $200 with a follow-up between $20 and $40. A shot of Lunelle cost $30. However, according to the American Pregnancy Association website, Lunelle is no longer available in the United States due to concerns over its effectiveness in preventing pregnancy.