Depo Provera

Long Term Synthetic Hormone Birth Control

Long term synthetic hormone contraception offers the most efficient reversible birth control available today. There are presently two types of these birth control methods; synthetic hormones that are injectable and synthetic hormones that are released by implanted capsules. Both types are extremely effective at preventing pregnancy. The advantages of these types of birth control methods, apart from their effectiveness, are that they are long acting and require very little effort to maintain. This section will review how these birth control methods function and the health risks associated with each.
Depo-Provera (sterile medroxyprogesterone acetate suspension) and Noristerat (norethisterone enanthate) are the most popular injectable synthetic hormone contraception techniques. Both consist of a progestin, a synthetic hormone that acts like progesterone. A shot of Depo-Provera must be injected every three months to remain an affective pregnancy deterrent. Noristerat must be renewed every two months. Cyclofem and Mesigya are two new monthly injectable contraceptives that combine a progestin and estrogen. Because Depo-Provera is the only injectable contraception that is FDA approved, I will concentrate on this injectable birth control method.

Depo-Provera is produced in the form of crystals suspended in a water-based solution. The progestin prevents pregnancy primarily by suppressing ovulation. It increases the viscosity of cervical mucus, creating a sticky barrier that blocks spermatozoa. Depo-Provera also appears to make the endometrium less suitable for implantation. This contraceptive has tested 99.9% effective in a World Health Organization (WHO) study. Women using Depo-Provera will notice changes in their menses. Most women stop having periods after one year of use. Similarly, these women usually require nine to twelve months to become pregnant once they have stopped the injections. Currently, each injection of Depo-Provera cost about fifty dollars.

Depo-Provera was suspected of causing breast cancer when a study showed that large doses caused increased breast nodules in beagles. The study is dubious though because the mammary structure of beagles is dissimilar to human mammary structure. Research has been inconclusive in the past thirty years since Upjohn company introduced Depo-Provera. Nevertheless, breast cancer rates slightly increase in women under the age of thirty-five during the first four years of using the contraceptive. Studies have likewise found that Depo-Provera protects against the risk of endometrial cancer.
Common reported side effects of Depo-Provera are: irregular menstrual bleeding, amenorrhea, weight gain, headache, nervousness, stomach pain or cramps, weakness or fatigue, and decreased sex drive. All of these symptoms usually decrease over time. Other reported complaints with the drug are: acne, leg cramps, breast swelling, excessive hair loss, no hair growth, depression, insomnia, rash, and hot flashes. At present, it is suspected that Depo-Provera may cause osteoporosis.

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