Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (Depo-Contraceptive Injection)

Medroxyprogesterone acetate is an injectable form of birth control. Women get a shot every couple of months in order to protect themselves against pregnancy. The injection raises the woman’s hormonal levels so that she no longer ovulates, making pregnancy far less likely. The hormones also cause other physical changes, such as thickening of the cervical wall and thinning of the uterine wall, to make it more difficult for eggs to become fertilized and implant themselves in the uterus.

Side Effects/Warnings

Women who take the injectable version of this drug are at increased risk of loss of bone density. Women lose more bone density if they use this medication for a longer period of time, and the effects of the medication on the bones are not entirely reversible if the woman stops taking the medication. Using this medication for a long period of time may put the woman at risk for osteoporosis. Women should not use this medication for more than two years unless other forms of birth control don’t work.