Everything You Wanted To Know About Depo Shots But Had No One To Ask | Women's Health slideshows | Family Health center

What Is Depo Provera?

Depo Provera is a highly effective and long-acting form of contraception. This progestogen-only hormonal contraceptive comes in the form of a shot that is injected in a woman's thigh, buttocks or deltoid four times a year. Depo Provera may be a good choice for you if you want to prevent pregnancy for multiple years, and do not want to risk failure due to user errors. Since Depo Provera is an injectable form of birth control, you only have to remember to get a shot once every three months. It is more user-friendly than the pill for this reason. Its other benefit is that you are not subject to side effects caused by estrogen.

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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depo-Provera

Depo Provera's Mechanism Of Action

Progestogen-only contraceptives work in different ways, depending on the dosage and action. In the case of Depo Provera, the active hormone interferes with the development of follicles and prevents ovulation. In addition, this form of birth control changes the make-up of your cervical mucus and makes it hard for sperm to get anywhere beyond your vagina. The progestogen in Depo Provera disrupts a user's menstrual cycles to the point that many stop having periods altogether. For some women — particularly those who suffered from heavy and painful menstruation — this is a great benefit.

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Benefits Of Depo Shots

Why would you want to choose Depo Provera over other types of contraception? Depo is highly effective and leaves little room for user errors. The injectable contraceptive is a good option for women who want to ensure they don't get pregnant over long periods of time. It is likely to reduce the frequency of your menstruation or halt it altogether, which many women like. Because Depo Provera often stops periods, women who suffer from heavy and painful periods, endometriosis, uterine fibroids and iron-deficiency anemia tend to see great improvements in their symptoms when they start using the contraceptive.

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Breastfeeding And Depo-Provera

Breastfeeding is not officially a contraindication for using Depo Provera as a form of birth control, but women who want to nurse and prevent pregnancy should be cautious. Studies suggest that breastfed babies whose mothers got a Depo shot two days postpartum had a 75 percent increased chance of needing to see a doctor for infectious diseases during their first year of life. This suggests that being exposed to the active ingredient in Depo Provera through breast milk has a negative impact on a baby's immune system. You may want to look into non-hormonal contraceptives like the Paragard IUD instead.

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When Should You Not Use Depo?

The World Health Organization's Medical Eligibility Criteria (MEC) for contraceptive use offer the most reliable information about who can and can't use certain forms of contraceptives. Category Three of the MEC means that other forms of contraception are strongly preferred, while Category Four means healthcare providers should not be prescribing the contraceptive at all. Women with active or recent breast cancer should not be using Depo. Those who have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, current Deep Vein Thrombosis or pulmonary embolus, or explained vaginal bleeding should also not be using Depo. If you have migraine headaches with aura while you are using Depo Provera, you should not get another shot.

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www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/birth-control-depo-provera

Side Effects Of Depo Provera

Depo Provera has potential side effects, just like all other forms of hormonal contraceptives. A lack of menstrual periods is a very common one, but many women actually welcome that particular side effect. Headaches, mood swings and depression, weight gain, acne and loss of bone density in the long-term are other possible adverse effects. Most of these side effects are very uncommon. A more frequently seen side effect that may lead you to decide to use another form of contraception is a delayed return to fertility. You may ovulate as soon as three or four months after your last shot, but your return to fertility could also take much longer than that — even years.

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Depo Provera: When Should You Call Your Doctor?

Are you using Depo Provera? There are some warning signs that should lead you to contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible. Finding a lump in your breast, suffering from migraines with aura (bright lights), heavy and prolonged vaginal bleeding, and pus from the injection site are all reasons to get in touch with your doctor. Some women using hormonal contraceptives start suffering from major depression. Talk to your doctor if this happens to you, so you can switch to another form of birth control. Yellowing skin or eyes also deserve medical attention.

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www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/birth-control-shot-depo-provera-4242.htm

How Effective Is Depo Provera?

Depo Provera is among the most highly effective forms of contraception. It's failure rate is only 0.3 percent. You can't forget to take it on a daily basis, or insert it incorrectly, as with other birth control methods. Users do need to remember to get a shot every three months however, so make sure you note the date in your diary. In the very unlikely event that you do get pregnant despite using Depo Provera, the pregnancy has a higher risk of being ectopic. Watch out for lower pelvic pain and bleeding, and contact your doctor if you notice these warning signs.