There are some serious health risks with Depo Provera, so
be sure to get all the facts in advance.
About Depo-Provera
It is a powerful perscription birth-control medication that is
administered by injection four times a year versus the more common
daily oral birth control pill - hence its convenience factor!
And because there are no pills to take or devices to insert there
is no interruption of sex.
Also Depo-Provera does not contain estrogen...
...So it can be used by women who cannot take birth control pills
duo to the increased risk of cardiovascular problems from estrogen.
It works as a hormonal birth control method causing the ovaries
to stop producing eggs, and is 99.7% effective at preventing pregnancy.
It is one of the most effect forms of birth control
Interestingly it has been used for in the United States since 1992
and even longer in Europe.
Depo-Provera is the brand name birth control product manufactured
by Pfizer medroxyprogesterone
acetate (pronounced me drox ee pro gest er rone).
Health Benefits:
Women on Depo Provera can have a decreased:
Because eventually you may stop having menstrual periods while
you are taking Depo-Provera, this method of birth control has other
benefits, such as:
So what's the problem...
Like with all pharmacetuical drugs there all always areas of controversy
- the big question being "Is it Safe".
This simple question is really a loaded question. Because it depends
on multiply factors.
One area of disagreement I found is for NURSING MOTHERS.
On the medical university of Michigan's health forum it states:
Breastfeeding is safe while taking Medroxyprogesterone.
However, on Medicinet.com
a site by pharmacists, state that:
"Medroxyprogesterone is secreted in breast milk. The
effect on the infant has not been determined."
So th question is how can something be safe if it has not been
tested as such?
Regardless, Depo-Provera contains a powerful variant of the hormone
progestosterone .
This hormone has been shown to increase the loss
of bone density in women of all ages, including teen and young adult
women who are in critical stages of natural bone growth.
Since its launch there have been more than a dozen studies conducted
on Depo-Provera and its side effects and effectiveness.
A study published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent
Medicine documents bone loss or Osteoporosis in women while they
were taking Depo-Provera.
Other back-up studies claim that the bone loss may be reversible
in younger women while some studies contradict this by confirming
that the bone loss is permanent.
Osteoporosis and the loss of bone density typically effect women
later in life making them susceptible to fractures throughout the
skeletal system.
While these studies are important, they have not been able to identify
the long-term effect on bone density, especially for teenagers and
young women.
The Food and Drug Administration Steps In
On November 17th 2004, the FDA issued an order whereby all Depo
Provera packaging and promotional materials must contain a "black
box" warning which states,
“Use of Depo Provera Contraceptive Injection may cause you
to lose calcium stored in your bones. The longer you use Depo
Provera Contraceptive Injection the more calcium you are likely
to lose. The calcium may not return completely once you stop using
Depo-Provera Contraceptive Injection.”
Due to the studies on Depo Provera and the FDA warnings, many health
care providers advise patients not to use the Depo-Provera Contraceptive
Injection for more than 2 years.
Despite an increasing number of studies that are exposing harmful
side effects Pfizer, the manufacturer of Depo Provera continues
to actively promote this birth control method to women of all ages.
Depo Provera remains very popular among younger women and millions
of doses are prescribed every year despite the FDA warnings and
reports of other side effects such as:
Last year, a new
study indicated that Depo Provera™ appears to increase
risk for Chlamydial and Gonococcal infections by 3 fold when compared
to women not using a hormonal contraceptive.
This is just the beging to the concerns and warnings about Depo
Provera™
If you are currently taking Depo Provera, at the very least it
might be advisable to discuss a bone density test with your physician
or medical advisors.
External Links
Pizfer's
Offical Depo Provera Site
Feminist
Women's Health Center Depo Provera™ fact sheet
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