NDSU Student Health Service
Choices Program

Your Reproductive Health - Contraceptive Injection

 

Contraceptive Injection
(Medroxyprogesterone Acetate)

Depo-Provera® is a progestin-only injection that is administered every 3 months by a health care professional. The hormones in Depo-Provera work in a similar way to those of the pill or the patch - they prevent the ovaries from releasing eggs.

Depo-Provera is 99% effective in preventing pregnancy with no interruption before sex.

Depo-Provera® does not protect against HIV or other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

• Possible Side Effects with Depo-Provera®
• WARNING SIGNS
• Do Not Use with Certain Medical Conditions

Is the Contraceptive Injection Right for You?

Depo-Provera is a birth control method that does not require daily maintenance. It may be a good choice for you if you are not bothered by injections. It prevents pregnancy by preventing the egg cells from ripening. If an egg is not released from the ovaries during the menstrual cycle, it cannot become fertilized by sperm and result in a pregnancy.

One injection of Depo-Provera protects a woman for 3 months. If you wish to continue using Depo-Provera, you must repeat the injection every 11 to 13 weeks. Occasionally a woman may experience side effects or an allergic reaction with Depo-Provera that cause her to discontinue its use. It may take three to four months for the effects of the injections to wear off and to feel better again.

Before you begin using Depo-Provera, you may be asked to provide a urine sample to determine if you are pregnant at that time. Using Depo-Provera during a pregnancy would present a risk of birth defects and could interfere with the growth of the fetus. After using Depo-Provera, it may take as long as 18 months after the last injection to become pregnant.

The effects of smoking while on Depo-Provera are not fully known. Therefore, you are strongly advised NOT TO SMOKE while using Depo-Provera.

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Possible Side Effects with Depo-Provera®

• Dizziness
• Breast tenderness
• Acne
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Bloating and/or weight gain
• Headaches
• Stomach pain, cramps, or bloating
• Weight changes
• Depression
• Nervousness
• Decreased sex drive
• Menstrual changes, such as missed periods or irregular or unpredictable bleeding or spotting
• Occasional excessive or prolonged periods
• Change in hair growth (no hair growth or hair loss)
• Bone mineral changes (may increase risk of osteoporosis)

WARNING SIGNS - report to your health care provider IMMEDIATELY

• Shortness of breath
• Sudden severe headache
• Weakness of arms or legs
• Dizziness or fainting
• Yellowing of skin or eyes
• Unusual swelling or pain in the legs
• Lump in the breast
• Sharp or crushing pain in the chest or coughing up blood
• Severe pain or tenderness in the lower abdomen
• Blurred vision, double vision, loss of vision
• Unusually heavy vaginal bleeding

  (Click here for a map of all clinics and emergency rooms in Fargo.)

Depo-Provera® must NOT be used if you have any of the following conditions:

• Pregnancy, known or suspected
• Unexplained vaginal bleeding
• Allergic reaction to Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (Depo-Provera)
• Blood clots in the legs, lungs, heart, or eye
• Liver disease
• Breast cancer
• History of stroke