Sunday, November 15, 2009

The Contraceptive Injection?


"Women Struggle to Quit Depo-Provera." ABC News. October 26, 2009.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/depo-provera-birth-control-injections-withdrawal-symptoms/story?id=8902273&page=3

For those women looking for another alternative to the aforementioned methods (pills, patch, IUDs, etc.), Pfizer produces Depo Provera, the more long-term, hormonal contraceptive injection. An injection, while being extremely effective and avoiding regular use of patches or consumption of pills, comes with its own cons – as does each hormonal or surgical contraceptive. Depo Provera is delivered every 11 to 13 weeks into the woman’s buttock or upper arm to prevent ovulation, and remains 97 percent effective at doing such. It functions by preventing the release of eggs by the ovaries and thickening the mucus of the cervix to make difficult the travel of sperm.

ABC News ran a segment on Depo Provera at the end of October 2009 and subsequently posted an article on their website on October 26. The article clearly takes the side of women suffering from withdrawal against Pfizer. In response to long term users of the contraceptive injection, ABC claims that cessation of the routine injection may cause the body to suffer adverse reaction, not dissimilar to those of drug withdrawal in addicts. Drug studies indicate weight gain, bone loss, and, after stopping the injections, delayed conception after stopping are associated with the injection, and women often have up to and 18-month lag in resuming ovulation. The symptoms of withdrawal – severe nausea, headaches, backaches, breast tenderness, and fatigue – are most commonly found in long-term users, while Pfizer clearly indicates on packaging that Depo Provera should not be used for more than 2 years unless there is no other effective alternative.

A contraceptive injection certainly sounds promising, yet several issues come into play. Depo Provera use is common among teenagers, who may not be responsible enough to regularly take birth control pills. However, more and more teenage girls are using the contraceptive injection as a means of hiding their sexual activity from their parents and thus remain on the treatment for more than the suggested time. Injections are often offered free of charge by pregnancy clinics and health insurance may cover all or part of the cost. Morality aside, there have been no studies of Depo Provera in women taking the drug for longer than two years, yet physicians and clinicians permit young women to do such. Furthermore, extended use of the injection is associated with loss of bone density and an increased risk of osteoporosis. Should we allow young girls in our society to receive the injection for years without us knowing the potential risks? With so many women and young girls using the injection for more than the allotted time, studies must be performed to determine the effects of extended Depo Provera use.


Additional source: http://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/birth-control-depo-provera

Photo: http://pimpinturtle.com/2008/04/13/birth-control-shot-for-men.aspx

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