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Injection
(Depo Provera)

What is depo?

Depo provera, "Depo", "the jab", is an injection of a hormone (medroxyprogesterone acetate) into your muscle that stops you from getting pregnant.

 

The hormone is slowly released over 3 months and stops you from getting pregnant by stopping ovulation.  

 

The "depo" is a pretty good method of birth control; it is medium-term-lasting and is easily reversible - if you decide you want a pregnancy just stop getting the jab!

​

The risk of pregnancy is 4 per 100 women with typical use but can be as good

as less than 1 per 100 women if used perfectly.

What

does this mean?

Doctors discuss the

effectiveness of contraception

by "perfect" and "typical" use.

This is because some methods are affected by human error: 

​

Perfect use:

The method is used perfectly

(no human error)

​

   Typical use:

Accounts for human

error (e.g. late for your jab

FAST FACTS

How good? 

A pretty good method of birth control 

>99% effective at preventing pregnancy with perfect use, 96% with typical use 

​

How easy? 

Semi-"fit and forget" - requires regular injections with your contraception provider every 3 months

​

Side effects? 

Irregular bleeding/spotting

Increased appetite -> weight gain

​

How hard to get? 

Appointment with your GP or Family Planning 

​

How much?

Prescription cost ($5) 

 

THAT'S $20 PER YEAR FOR BIRTH CONTROL

depot provera

How does it work?

The "depo" injects a hormone into your muscle that then slowly releases the hormone throughout your body over the next 3 months. 

 

It works by stopping you from ovulating (producing an egg). 

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how long does it last?

  • 3 months (13 weeks)

  • 10 weeks (if on anti-epileptic medications)

why would it suit me? 

The depot can be particularly helpful if:

  • You want something long-lasting

  • You have heavy or painful periods

  • You forget to take pills/use condoms 

  • You have epilepsy and want something long lasting

Pros
BENEFITS

  • Fit and forget 

  • Lasts 3 months 

  • Easy to use 

  • Hidden (no one will know unless you tell them)

  • May give you shorter, lighter periods 

  • Suitable after having a baby (post-partum) and while breastfeeding

CONS
SIDE EFFECTS

  • Irregular bleeding/spotting (mainly in first 6 months)

  • Increased appetite leading to weight gain (this is more common in women with higher BMIs to start with)

  • Delay in return to fertility can be up to one year

  • Less common: nausea, bloating, headaches, sore breasts, change in mood

what next?

You will need to book an appointment with your GP or Family Planning to ensure depot provera is the correct birth control method for you.

 

Once confirmed, you can proceed to have the depot injection by a trained professional.  

In the future...
Luna health hope to provide a birth control service that assesses eligibility for each birth control method.

This will save you time and money

Share your experience

help others decide what is best for them 

Your experience
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your experience

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Bex, 29

When I was aged 20-24 I had the Depo Injection. It was super easy and I didn't get my periods which was a win at the time. It took a year for my body to get back to having regular periods. Now I'm focusing on my fertility and I'm not sure suppressing my periods for an extended amount of time was the right choice.

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Laura, 29

I went on the Depo when I was around 17, and was on it for 10 years. This worked pretty well for me; my weight remained constant, my skin didn’t break out. The text reminders to book an appointment every 12 weeks worked well and I saw a doctor annually. But after several years I found myself constantly feeling down. I became a bit anxious about what it might be doing to my body or mental state of mind. I didn’t know who I was as an adult without additional hormones every few months. I decided to give my body a break from it. Hard to know if stopping the Depo made things more positive for me or it was just the course of life. Things just seemed better. My period returned to a normal cycle very quickly (less than 3 months). Within 8 months of my last injection I conceived.

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