Delaware Health and Social services division of public health logo
Facebook-f Instagram Tiktok X-twitter Youtube

Birth Control Methods

Shot/Injection

Depo Provera®
Emergency Contraception
External Condoms
Hormonal IUD
Implant
Internal Condoms
Non-Hormonal IUD
Patch
Ring
Shot/Injection
Sterilization – Female
Sterilization – Male
The Pill
About

Depo Medroxyprogesterone Acetate, also known as Depo Provera, is a type of birth control that you get through an injection. It works for up to 12 weeks at a time. The shot can be given in a muscle (intramuscularly) or just under the skin (subcutaneously).

Effectiveness
96%
96% effective
Mechanism of Action

An injection like Depo works to prevent pregnancy in a few ways:

  1. Inhibits ovulation: It stops the ovaries from releasing eggs. Without an egg, there can be no fertilization by sperm.
  2. Thickens cervical mucus: The shot makes the mucus in the cervix thicker, which makes it harder for sperm to get through the cervix and reach an egg.
  3. Thins lining of the uterus: It also makes the lining of the uterus thinner. This thinning means that if an egg does get fertilized by a sperm, it’s less likely to attach to the wall of the uterus and start growing.
Benefits
Improves cycle symptoms
Improves cycle symptoms
Discreet method
Discreet method
Minimal drug interactions
Minimal drug interactions

Using Depo Provera has several benefits besides preventing pregnancy, and here’s how they can be helpful:

  • The shot can make your periods lighter, which can be a big relief if they are usually heavy. It can also make your periods less painful, helping to ease discomfort during that time of the month.
  • If you have endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside it, the shot can help reduce the symptoms.
  • The Depo Provera shot doesn’t interact much with other medications, which means it’s less likely to cause problems if you’re taking other drugs.
  • The shot is given every three months, and no one can tell you’re using it, so it’s a private way to manage birth control.
Start Method
Other
Other

It’s important to stay on a schedule with getting your Depo Provera shot. If you get your birth control shot later than scheduled, you might not be fully protected against pregnancy, especially if it’s more than 15 weeks since your last shot. In that case, use a backup method like condoms for the first week after getting your shot. If you have unprotected sex after 15 weeks without a shot, consider emergency contraception and possibly a pregnancy test before your next shot. To best prevent pregnancy, always get your shot on time.

Potential Side Effects and Concerns

When using the birth control injection, here are some potential side effects to consider:

  • High discontinuation rate: About 40% to 50% of people stop using it within the first year.
  • Irregular bleeding: You might experience bleeding at unexpected times.
  • No periods: Some people stop having periods altogether after using it for a while; about 17% in the first year and 80% after five years.
  • Weight gain: It’s common to gain some weight while using the injection.
  • Decrease in bone mineral density (BMD): The shot can lead to a decrease in bone strength, but this is usually reversible once you stop using it.
  • Delayed return to fertility: It can take between seven to 12 months for your fertility to return to normal after you stop getting the shots.
Who Should Not Use This?

The birth control injection should not be used by people with the following health conditions:

  • Cirrhosis: A condition that severely damages the liver.
  • Liver tumors: If you have growths or tumors in your liver.
  • Active liver disease: Any ongoing liver problems.
  • Breast cancer: If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer.
  • Unexplained vaginal bleeding: If you have bleeding that a doctor hasn’t checked or explained, you shouldn’t use the injection until the cause is known.