Women's Health

Using Depo-Provera for Birth Control

Written by Mark Abell

For years, women have been relying on a number of different forms of birth control, such as the pill, the use of certain methods during relations, and, of course, total abstinence from relationships. In 1992, however, the food and drug administration gave approval for the use of the Depo-Provera injection, and, as assumed, a good majority of the women who are using it like it. There are a number of important reasons women enjoy the injection over using the pill or other forms of birth control. For one thing (and probably the most important), it is long acting. For another, the only people who need to know that a woman is using the injection (over other forms of birth control) is the clinician (physician) and, of course, the one taking the shot. Easy, right? Well, not really.

One of the most common reasons for women deciding not to use the Depo-Provera injection is the side effects which can be encountered. But, there are certain guidelines which have been established which can help both a clinician and a patient decide what's good for them. For starters, the Depo-Provera shot is good for women who cannot take the oral form of estrogen and desire a "reversible" long-term method of birth control. Well, what sort of women are we talking about? Women over the age of thirty-five, those with a history of high blood pressure, and those with heart disease should be warned against the use of the pill. So, for them, the shot is available. But there is more. Women who suffer from seizures should not take the pill. For these women, taking the shot along with their anti-seizure medicine will do the job. Women with a history of anemia are also candidates for the shot. And, then, finally, those women who suffer from any form of blood disease should talk with their physicians about alternate methods of control. This is mentioned because of the fact that the pill can sometimes lead the formation of blood clots, whereas the shot has been considered "safe" in that area. Talk with your physician.

As mentioned, there are side effects. One of the most common is "breakthrough bleeding", which is a "bloody show" during a time when the woman should not be having her period, or menstruating. There is a good side to this coin, however. Studies have shown that breakthrough bleeding while using the Depro-Provera shot has a better chance of being treated than when it occurs while using the implant. The treatment for "breakthrough bleeding" is the use of Premarin, which is conjugated estrogen. Essentially, the patient is treated with a small dose of premarin each day for about two weeks, which generally stops the bleeding.

The second most common side effect of Depo-Provera is amenorrhea, which is the lack of a period. In fact, it has been estimated that about fifty-five percent of all women who undergo treatment with the shot are amenorrheic by the first year. Treatment of this condition is not usually necessary, however, unless there are other complications.

The "big" issue with the shot (as in the pill) is weight gain. Although not quite as common as the former side effects, the potential for weight gain is real and concerns a lot of women. Women who choose to take the shot should be told that they ought to exercise, eat a well balanced diet and avoid the snacks - or they will gain weight. The Depo-Provera shot is an anabolic steroid; it will increase your appetite and will cause weight gain. If that is known, then possibly some of the complications can be avoided. Average weight gain during the first year using the shot is about five pounds and about eight pounds by the second year.

There are other side effects, such as personality changes, changes in the ways in which the breasts can produce milk (lactation) during breast feeding months, hair and skin changes, changes in bone density, and a general "delay in return to fertility". It is important that a woman discuss the pros and cons of this as well as other forms of birth control with their clinician before beginning any method. It just makes sense, anyway.

Choosing to use the Depo-Provera shot over the pill or any other form of birth control will not be expensive. The annual cost of using the shot is about eighty dollars. Weigh that against the use of using the pill, which is about fifteen to twenty dollars a month, and you have yourself a bargain. For those on Medicaid, the government will reimburse about eighty-five to ninety percent of the cost.

Birth control is important to all fertile women. It has been established in our society for a long enough time to become widely accepted. All forms of birth control, however, have their side affects and contraindications. Talk with your doctor.

For those who might want some more information about using Depo-Provera, visit the following Internet sites, or search "birth control", "Depo-Provera", or "DPMA".

Depo-Provera

Planned Parenthood On-Line: Depo-Provera

Contraceptive Options - Depo-Provera

What is Depo-Provera?

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