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ABORTION
CLINIC SERVICES THROUGH 24 WEEKS |
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us 24 hours a Day |
| 877-I-MATTER
(877-462-8837) |
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"They
treat me like I matter" |
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| What is
"the Shot"? |
| Depo-Provera is a progestin-only
injectable form of birth control given by
your health care provider every 3 months.
It is injected into either your upper arm
or buttocks. The next shot should be scheduled
in 12 weeks-this gives you a week or two of
flexibility if you are unable to keep that
appointment. |
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| How does
the Shot work? |
| It prevents pregnancy by
stopping ovulation (the release of an egg
from the ovary). It thickens the mucus around
the cervix preventing sperm from entering
the cervix and alters the lining of the womb
to inhibit implantation of the pregnancy. |
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| How effective
is the Shot? |
| Depo-Provera is more than
99% effective. Of every 1,000 women who use
this method, 3 will become pregnant during
first year of use. This is one of the most
effective forms of birth control. |
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| Am I a
good candidate for the Shot? |
| Depo-Provera is worth considering
if you want long term contraception without
following a daily routine. Since protection
is maintained from a shot every 3 months,
it allows for sexual spontaneity. It may
also be a good choice for you if you cannot
remember take a pill everyday or if you cannot
use birth control containing estrogen (i.e.
you are over 35 and a smoker or have a history
of blood clots. ) It is also a good choice
if you do NOT plan to become pregnant in the
near future and want a reliable form of birth
control other than the pill. The shot does
not protect from sexually transmitted diseases
particularly HIV. If this is a concern you
should use a condom as well. |
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| Are
there any reasons why I shouldn't use
the Shot? |
| Most
women of any age needing birth
control can use Depo-Provera.
A woman should not use the shot
if she has history of: |
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active liver
disease |
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current or past
history of breast cancer |
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unexplained vaginal
bleeding |
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| * The final decision
is between you and your doctor. |
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| What are
the common side effects of the Shot? |
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irregular bleeding |
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Almost all women
who use Depo-Provera will experience
changes in their period, including
irregular or unpredictable bleeding
or spotting, and occasionally
heavy or continuous bleeding.
This tends to subside the longer
you use this method. After a year
of use, one-half of women will
stop having a period altogether.
This is an expected side effect
from the shot and is NOT a medical
problem. The constant release
of hormone in your body from the
injection prevents the lining
of the uterus from building up;
therefore, there is nothing to
bleed off each month. If the
irregular bleeding is interfering
with your lifestyle, talk to your
health care provider. This condition
can be treated by either taking
a short course of estrogen (i.e.
taking the birth control pill)
or medications such as Motrin
or Advil to regulate your cycle
for a few months until the irregular
bleeding resolves. |
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weight gain |
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Depo-Provera has been
shown to be associated with weight gain.
As much as 3 to 5 lbs. in the first
year of use. This is most likely due
to increased appetite from the progestin.
If you watch what you eat and exercise
regularly you can offset this weight
gain. |
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delay in the return
of your period |
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Although the shot does
NOT cause infertility, it may take 12
to18 months from your last injection
for your normal menstrual function to
return (the average is 10 months).
Thus, if you are considering pregnancy
in the near future you may want to consider
an alternative method of birth control. |
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no immediate discontinuation |
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Unlike, the pill or
mini pill, the hormone given as an injection
can take several months to clear from
your body. Thus, you may be "stuck"
with some of the other side effects
such as irregular bleeding, weight gain,
etc. for several months. |
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reversible loss
of bone mass |
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Women who use Depo-Provera
for a long period of time may have lower
density than non-users. This will reverse
after stopping the Depo-Provera and
has not been shown to cause osteoporosis
or associated fractures. Women over
40 who continue this method for greater
than 2 years would benefit from having
their bone density checked. |
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mood changes |
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Some women experience
mood changes on the shot-depression,
irritability, and change in sex drive.
These are infrequent side effects |
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| What
are the benefits of the Shot? |
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easy to use--all you
have to remember is to go to your health
care provider for a shot 4 times a year |
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extremely reliable-this
form of birth control has one of the
lowest failure rates |
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confidential--no one
other than your health care provider
needs to know you are using it |
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decreases menstrual
cramps and blood loss--after 1 year
of use 50% of women will no longer get
their period |
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reversible--although
expect a delay in the return of your
period of 10 months on average |
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| When can
I start taking the Shot? |
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We will only give you the
Depo-Provera within 5 days of the
start of your menstrual period. This
ensures that you are NOT pregnant
when you receive the shot and it will
be effective immediately. Before
you get each shot, we will check that
you have a negative urine pregnancy
test.
Another
time to start this method is after
the end of a pregnancy; either at
the time of termination of pregnancy
or within 5 days postpartum if NOT
breastfeeding. If you plan to breastfeed,
Depo-Provera is a safe method of birth
control, but we recommend waiting
until 6 weeks postpartum when the
milk supply is fully established.
If you initiate Depo-Provera after
the birth of a child, keep in mind
the delay in return of your menstrual
cycle. If you are planning to have
another baby within the next year
or so, you may want to select a different
form of birth control.
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| What If
I am late for my next Shot? |
| If you are late for
your Depo-Provera, we want to make sure
that you are NOT pregnant. However,
now we need to do a blood pregnancy
test to make sure you are not pregnant.
This is much more sensitive test than
a urine test. The blood test usually
takes one day for results. If negative,
you could return the next day for your
injection but you should use condoms
as a backup method for the next two
weeks. |
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