The contraceptive injection is very convenient. A single shot given in the buttock or upper arm by your |health care| provider will prevent |pregnancy| for a full three months. The injection contains a synthetic ~hormone~ (medroxyprogesterone) similar to the naturally occurring ~hormone~ progesterone. This ~hormone~ interrupts the message sent to the |brain| telling the |ovary| to release an egg. It also acts in other ways to prevent |pregnancy|.
The contraceptive effects begin as soon as the first shot is administered. The first injection should be given within five days after the onset of a normal menstrual period. The contraceptive injections must be received at regular three month intervals to maintain adequate |contraception|. To reverse the contraceptive effects, do not return for the next injection. Most pregnancies occur twelve to eighteen months after the last injection.
Who Can Use The Injection:
Any woman requiring an effective, convenient, reversible form of birth control that allows for spontaneous and/or uninterrupted sex. Also, any woman who has difficulty remembering to take daily medication.
Who Should Not Use The Injection:
While most women can use the injection safely, some should not. The following conditions should eliminate the injection as a choice of contraceptive: Known or suspected |pregnancy|; Unexplained vaginal |bleeding|; Known or suspected breast |cancer|; |Heart| attack or |stroke|; ~Blood~ clots in the legs; |Liver| problems or disease; |Allergies| to the ingredients.
Advantages:
Used correctly and consistently, less than one woman out of every 100 get pregnant in a given year using the injectable contraceptive. The injection is given only four times a year, is very convenient, and does not interfere with or interrupt intercourse. It is easily reversible, simply do not receive the next shot. Short of |sterilization| or abstinence, one of the two most effective methods of |contraception|.
Disadvantages:
Possible decrease in the amount of mineral stored in the bones. No protection against sexually transmitted diseases (STD's). Must return to |health care| provider every three months for injection.
Side Effects:
Common - |bleeding| between periods, missed periods, weight gain, |headache|, |acne|, depression, swollen or tender breasts, nausea, nervousness, dizziness, fatigue, |stomach| pain or cramps, decreased sex drive.
Serious - although these are rare, be aware of: high-blood pressure, ~blood~ clots, |stroke|, if |pregnancy| occurs while on the injection, there is a possibility it will be a tubal (ectopic) |pregnancy|.
