Advantages and Disadvantages of Depo-Provera

Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 6:05
Pleasure, Sexual Health
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Depo-Provera is a contraceptive method for women that is available in the form of injections and has become popular among women of all age groups. Most women who have trouble remembering to take contraceptive pills or are unable to use them owing to certain medical conditions and are unwilling to get an implant can use this contraceptive measure.

Depo-Provera was developed in the 1960s but was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) much later and became available to American women by the end of 1992. Depo-Provera contains the synthetic hormone depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA).

A Depo-Provera injection is either injected on the arms or the buttocks and needs to be given every 12 weeks. DMPA is similar to progesterone and offers protection from pregnancy for a few weeks after a dose. Depo-Provera is highly effective with a failure rate of 0.3%.

Advantages of Depo-Provera:

There are numerous advantages of using this contraceptive. Depo-Provera is extremely effective and does not require much effort on part of the user. It carries no estrogen related side effects and there is no need for women using the injection to remember to use it as in the case of oral contraceptives.

Depo-Provera injections do not require any surgical procedures and can be easily discontinued at a woman’s own convenience. They also reduce the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and endometriosis and decrease menstrual pain and cramps.

Disadvantages of Depo-Provera:

Depo-Provera injections might have a number of advantages but one cannot ignore their disadvantages as well. The biggest disadvantage of this contraceptive measure is that it does not offer any protection against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). It is also essential for the woman to visit her health care professional every 3 months to receive the shot.

Research also tells us that Depo-Provera shots can result in menstrual irregularities in some women and once their use is discontinued, they may cause infertility for up to 1 year. Various animal studies have indicated that these injections may increase the risk for breast and other types of cancers and their prolonged use may also raise the odds for developing osteoporosis. Other side effects include depression, dizziness, weight gain and headaches.