Thursday, April 3, 2008

Depo­Provera Contraceptive Injection

If a woman has trouble remembering to take oral contraceptives or can't use them because of certain medical problems, and she doesn't want to use an implant because of its long­term effects, there is now a third option: Depo­Provera Contraceptive Injection.

Depo­Provera was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for endometrial and kidney cancer in the early 1970s, but it took nearly 20 years of research to convince the agency to approve it as a contraceptive. Officials at the FDA were concerned about studies linking the drug to breast cancer, low birth­weight babies, and osteoporosis (brittle bones).

Four Shots a Year

Depo­Provera is a shot administered in the arm or buttocks every 90 days. It contains the synthetic hormone depot­medroxypro-gesterone acetate (DMPA). This hormone is similar to a woman's naturally occurring progesterone. Although not available in America until the end of 1992, DMPA has been used for contraception by almost 9 million women in over 90 countries.

The hormone in the shot is absorbed into the bloodstream from the muscle where it was given. It provides protection from pregnancy within 2 weeks of the initial injection. Blood levels of DMPA remain high for about 4 weeks, then stabilize at a lower level.

You will probably be given a pregnancy test before your first injection because one study showed that DMPA users who were either pregnant at the time of their first shot or who got pregnant while using the drug were more likely to have low birth weight babies.

It's important that you get your shots regularly. However, if you are going on an extended vacation and need one before 3 months are up, it will do no harm. You also have a grace period of about 4 weeks after the next shot is due. It is inadvisable to push the limit though, because some women have gotten pregnant by extending their three­month intervals. Shots cost about $30 to $40 or more, depending on where you live.

If you want to stop using Depo­Provera, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that, unlike Norplant implants which require a doctor's assistance to remove, you can discontinue Depo­Provera simply by not getting your next shot. The bad news is, once you've gotten a shot, you're committed for a full 90 days.

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