Injectable Contraception

Injectables (brand name Depo-Provera^®) are shots that contain progestin to prevent pregnancy. Women receive an injection in the buttocks or arm once every three months. The quarterly shot is similar to other progestin-only methods, such as mini-pills or implants, because it contains only one hormone.

Injectable contraception is not intended to protect you from sexually transmitted diseases-called STDs for short-which are diseases, infections, or illnesses that can spread from one person to another through sexual contact. Some examples of STDs are chlamydia, herpes, HIV, gonorrhea, and syphilis.

What you need to do:

Get your injection on time every three months for continuous protection against pregnancy.

Couples should learn about Emergency contraception before using any contraceptive method. Sometimes called the "morning after pill," Emergency contraception reduces the chance of getting pregnant after unprotected sexual intercourse.

Pros:

• You do not have to do anything right before, during, or after sex.
• You need to get an injection only four times a year.
• Injectables help protect women from cancer of the lining of the uterus (womb).
• Injectables reduce monthly bleeding and anemia, although bleeding and spotting may increase initially.
• In most cases, women stop having their periods, which is perfectly safe. This could be considered a pro or a con.
• Privacy: In some cases, women may not want to tell their partner they are using birth control.

Cons:

• A few women may experience side effects including bloating and weight gain, headaches, depression, loss of interest in sex, or hair loss.
• In most cases, women stop having their periods, which is perfectly safe. This could be considered a pro or a con.
• The ability to get pregnant can be delayed for as long as 18 months after the injections stop.
• This is not a good method for women who want less than a year of birth control.

Effectiveness:

This guide gives effectiveness percentages for two categories of contraceptive use: typical use, which includes people who may not always use a method exactly how and when they were supposed to use it, and perfect use, which indicates how effective the method would be if it were always used correctly.

• Perfect use: In a group of 100 women using injectables, maybe 1 woman and probably no one in the group might become pregnant in one year.
• Typical use: For typical users, 3 out of 100 women might become pregnant when using injectables for one year.

To learn more about injectables, please visit any of these web sites or ask your healthcare provider.

Planned Parenthood 'HORMONAL INJECTIONS'

EngenderHealth 'Progestin-Only Injectables' Info

American Academy of Family Physicians 'Depo-Provera'

 

To learn more about Depo-Provera^®, please visit their Web site: http://www.depoprovera.com/