Depo-Provera

Pronounced: DE-po pro-VEH-ra
Generic name: Medroxyprogesterone acetate

Why is Depo-Provera prescribed?

Depo-Provera Contraceptive Injection is given in the buttock or upper arm to prevent pregnancy. It is more than 99 percent effective; your chances of becoming pregnant during the first year of use are less than 1 in 100. The injection is given every 3 months (13 weeks) by your doctor. Depo-Provera works by preventing the release of hormones called gonadotropins from the pituitary gland in the brain. Without these hormones, the monthly release of an egg from the ovary cannot occur. If no egg is released, pregnancy is impossible. Depo-Provera also causes changes in the lining of the uterus that make pregnancy less likely even if an egg is released.

In higher doses, Depo-Provera is also used in the treatment of certain cancers including cancer of the endometrium (lining of the uterus) and kidney cancer.

Most important fact about Depo-Provera

Because Depo-Provera is a long-acting form of birth control, it will take a while for the effects of your last injection to wear off. In medical studies, only 68 percent of women became pregnant within 12 months after stopping Depo-Provera. However, within 18 months, 93 percent had become pregnant. If you think you will want to get pregnant shortly after you stop using birth control, Depo-Provera may not be the ideal method for you. The amount of time you use Depo-Provera does not affect the delay in becoming pregnant when you stop.

How should you take Depo-Provera?

Depo-Provera is given by a doctor. To make sure you are not pregnant when you receive your first injection, it is given only during the first 5 days after your menstrual period, when it is very unlikely that you could be pregnant. If you are breastfeeding, Depo-Provera is given 6 weeks after childbirth to reduce the infant's exposure to the drug through breast milk. If you are not breastfeeding, it is given within 5 days of childbirth.

Depo-Provera must be taken every 3 months (13 weeks), on schedule. Although the birth-control effects of the drug generally take time to wear off, there is still a possibility of becoming pregnant right away if you miss your scheduled injection.