CompositionDepo-Provera Injection is used to prevent pregnancy, with one injection giving protection for 12 weeks. It is a single-ingredient medicine containing medroxyprogesterone acetate 150mg, a progestogen (female hormone), and belongs to a group of medicines called long-acting injectable contraceptives.
This medicine stops the release of an egg each month, thickens the mucus at the neck of the womb and thins the womb lining. It may also be used to help manage endometriosis pain. It is given by a healthcare professional as an injection into a muscle, every 12 weeks. If an injection is late, extra contraception may be needed, so keep to your schedule.
Getting enough calcium and vitamin D, doing weight-bearing exercise and not smoking help protect bone health during use. It does not protect against sexually transmitted infections, so use condoms for that.
Long-term use can reduce bone density, so it is usually not continued beyond 2 years unless other methods are unsuitable, and your doctor will review this. Fertility may take up to a year or more to return after the last injection, so discuss this if you plan a pregnancy soon. Irregular bleeding or periods stopping altogether are common. Do not use it if you are pregnant, or have unexplained vaginal bleeding, breast cancer, liver disease, or a history of blood clots or stroke. Tell your doctor about depression, diabetes or osteoporosis. Seek medical help for pain or swelling in one leg, chest pain, sudden breathlessness, severe headache, heavy bleeding or yellowing of the skin or eyes.
