What is the depo shot you may be asking? Great question! The formal name is Depo-Provera which is a progesterin-only shot in the arm, leg, abdomen, hip, and upper thigh that delivers a high dose of the progesterin medroxyprogesterone acetate, which completely ellminates both oestrogen and progesterone (Dr. Briden, 30). Each shot is good for about 13 weeks and also works by thickening cervical mucus and changes to the uterine lining making it not viable for a fertilised egg to implant. Progeserin-only is not the same as the natural hormone progesterone that our bodies create but the synthetic hormone version that has a similar but different chemical structure.
I have never personally taken the Depo shot because when I was younger, the doctors recommended the combination hormonal birth control pill but after my laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis, my surgeon did recommend this if my symptoms continued. I nicely declined and she welcomed my response with complete respect. I have also yet to hear a positive story of the depo shot from others that have tried it.
One of the major issues with this shot is that is shuts down the ovaries to the point that it has been known to cause temporary bone loss which makes us more vulnerable to getting osteoporosis and fractures later in life. Women are already 4x more likely to develop osteoporosis than men without this type of hormonal birth control (NWHN, 2015).
There are also the issues of increased chance for weight gain and mental health issues like depression (Dr. Briden, 30). Research has proven that 1-5% of those that get the depo-shot experience mood changes. Another interesting find is that hormonal birth control has been known to raise womens risk of breast cancer and the longer you are on them, the higher your chances. However, they have said that after 10 years off of hormonal contraceptives that you're chances diminish greatly(Miller, 2016).
If you are interested in this birth control method, it is 97-99% effective with regular use and as long as you do your research to ensure that it is the best option for you, then I would talk to your doctor or healthcare professional for more information. If you have ever tried Depo-Provera, let me know what you're experience was! I would be very interested and hearing more!
Xoxo,
Moonli
(2015) Depo Provera and Bone Mineral Density. National Women's Health Network
Briden, L. (2017) The Serious Downside to Contraceptive Implants and Injections. LaraBriden <https://www.larabriden.com/downside-to-contraceptive-rods-implants-injections/>
Briden, L. (2018) Period Repair Manual. Sydney, Australia: Macmillan.
Miller, K. (2016) Birth Control & Cancer: Which Methods Raise, Lower Risk. Cancer. org <https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/birth-control-cancer-which-methods-raise-lower-risk.html>.
Westhoff, C., Truman, C., Kalmuss, D., et ad. (1998) Depressive Symptoms and Depo-Provera. Elsevier 10.1016/s0010-7824(98)00024-9.
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