Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsProsConsSide EffectsOther ConsiderationsAppropriate UseOther UsesCost
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Pros
Cons
Side Effects
Other Considerations
Appropriate Use
Other Uses
Cost
The Depo-Provera birth control shot has advantages and disadvantages compared to other types of birth control. While it’s convenient and effective, for example, the Depo shot also carries the risk of side effects like irregular bleeding and bone loss.
This article looks at some of the pros and cons of using Depo-Provera. It also discusses some other things you might want to consider before you try this form of birth control.
B. Boissonnet / Getty Images
Advantages of Depo-Provera
Compared to other birth control methods, Depo-Provera is appealing to many women for a number of reasons.
What You Need to Know About Pregnancy After Depo-Provera
Disadvantages of Depo Provera
It’s common for birth control to have disadvantages. Depo-Provera is no different, and it’s important to know both the pros and the cons before you make a decision.
Some disadvantages of Depo-Provera are described below.
Of note, Depo-SubQ Provera 104 (the formulation that is injected under the skin) may lead to fewer hormone-related side effects than the original Depo formulation, which is injected into a muscle. This is because Depo-SubQ Provera 104 contains 31% less progestin.
Shots Must Be On Time
You must have a shot four times a year to maintain Depo-Provera’s high effectiveness rate.
If it’s been more than 13 weeks since your last shot (or 14 weeks since your last Depo-subQ 104 shot), use a backup birth control method so you don’t get pregnant.
Bone Density Loss
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued aboxed warningadvising women that Depo-Provera can cause severe bone density loss.
Due to this, it’s recommended that you don’t use Depo-Provera or Depo-SubQ Provera 104 for more than two years.Adolescent girls should not use the Depo shot at all because of this risk.
Bleeding Issues
Many women stop using Depo-Provera during the first year due to spotting,irregular bleeding, and/or continuous bleeding. This side effect is especially common during the first three months.
Skin Reactions
In a small number of cases, women have experienced reactions in the area where they received the Depo shot.The skin around the injection may also get dry, dimpled, or feel lumpy.
Delayed Return of Fertility
You need to stop Depo injections one year before you want to get pregnant. After your last shot, it takes an average of nine to 10 months (and sometimes more than a year) to begin ovulating and regain fertility.
Weight Gain
Mild Pain
Some women report mild pain associated with the Depo injection.
There’s no way to predict who will get side effects or any way to stop them once they occur. While the symptoms usually resolve once the treatment is stopped, it may take you 12 to 14 weeks for them to go away completely.
Over thefirst year of Depo shots, you may notice a few changes as your body adjusts.
Some potential side effects include:
In a few women, it may cause:
9 Common Depo-Provera Side Effects
Additional Considerations
If you’re currently using another hormonal method, you can ask about switching to Depo-Provera.
Depo-Provera can be a safe birth control option for most healthy women. It’s important that you discuss your complete medical history with your healthcare provider before receiving an injection.
Depo-Provera is not recommended for adolescent girls or women with:
Non-Contraceptive Uses
While Depo-subQ Provera 104 is recognized as a safe and effective form of long-term birth control, it has other uses that are distinct from original Depo-Provera.
Depo-subQ Provera 104 is also approved for the treatment ofendometriosis pain. Research has shown that it’s just as effective as leuprolide but with fewer vasomotor symptoms (like hot flashes and sweats) and less bone density loss.
The efficacy of the drug extends to alleviating pelvic pain and tenderness, dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps), painful intercourse, and the hardening and thickening of endometrial tissue.
Both Depo-Provera versions can also help lower your uterine cancer risk.
Cost of Treatment
Under theAffordable Care Act, most insurance plans must cover healthcare provider visits related to birth control and the shot itself is free under most plans. Medicaid maycover the costas well.
Any changes to the Affordable Care Act may affect whether insurance plans cover contraception. Check with your insurance plan to see what your coverage and costs may be.
If you don’t have coverage, you’ll need to pay out-of-pocket for the medical exam and the injection.
The Depo-Provera shot costs around between $50 and $150 per shot, for a total of around $200 to $600 a year.
You may incur additional costs if you are more than two weeks late for your next scheduled shot because your healthcare provider may require a pregnancy test before giving you an injection, so you’ll need to pay for that as well.
Summary
Like other forms of birth control, Depo-Provera has pros and cons. Depo-Provera is a very effective form of birth control, and people who use it don’t have to remember to take a daily pill. Some people also experience very light or even absent periods while using Depo-Provera.
Some of Depo-Provera’s disadvantages include weight gain, irregular bleeding, and bone loss. It may also take some time for you to regain your fertility after you stop using this form of birth control.
Pros and Cons of the NuvaRing
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Food and Drug Administration: FDA AccessData.Physicial information: Depo-Provera contraceptive injection.Pharmacia.Depo-Provera contraceptive injection.Zeman S, Havlík P, Zemanová J, Němec D.Status of bone mineral density after the long-standing application of contraception Depo-Provera.Ceska Gynekol. 2013;78(1):116-24.Food and Drug Administration.Depo-Provera physician information.American Academy of Family Physicians.How to switch birth control methods.Am Fam Physician. 2011;83(5):575-576.Quaas AM, Weedin EA, Hansen KR.On-label and off-label rug use in the treatment of endometriosis.Fertility and Sterility. 2015;103(3):612-625. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.01.006Lu KH, Loose DS, Yates MS, et al.Prospective multicenter randomized intermediate biomarker study of oral contraceptive versus Depo-Provera for prevention of endometrial cancer in women with Lynch syndrome.Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2013;6(8):774-81. doi:10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-13-0020From CY, Toy AS.How much does birth control cost?Mental Health. 2022.Additional ReadingBonnema R, McNamara M, Spencer A.Contraception choices in women with underlying medical conditions.Am Fam Physician. 2010;82(6):621-628.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.U.S. selected practice recommendations for contraceptive use.Cromer BA, Scholes D, Berenson A, et al.Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate and bone mineral density in adolescents—the black box warning: a position paper of the Society for Adolescent Medicine.J Adolesc Health. 2006;39(2):296-301. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2006.03.011Quaas AM, Weedin EA, Hansen KR.On-label and off-label drug use in the treatment of endometriosis.Fertil Steril. 2015;103(3):612-25. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.01.006
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Food and Drug Administration: FDA AccessData.Physicial information: Depo-Provera contraceptive injection.Pharmacia.Depo-Provera contraceptive injection.Zeman S, Havlík P, Zemanová J, Němec D.Status of bone mineral density after the long-standing application of contraception Depo-Provera.Ceska Gynekol. 2013;78(1):116-24.Food and Drug Administration.Depo-Provera physician information.American Academy of Family Physicians.How to switch birth control methods.Am Fam Physician. 2011;83(5):575-576.Quaas AM, Weedin EA, Hansen KR.On-label and off-label rug use in the treatment of endometriosis.Fertility and Sterility. 2015;103(3):612-625. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.01.006Lu KH, Loose DS, Yates MS, et al.Prospective multicenter randomized intermediate biomarker study of oral contraceptive versus Depo-Provera for prevention of endometrial cancer in women with Lynch syndrome.Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2013;6(8):774-81. doi:10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-13-0020From CY, Toy AS.How much does birth control cost?Mental Health. 2022.Additional ReadingBonnema R, McNamara M, Spencer A.Contraception choices in women with underlying medical conditions.Am Fam Physician. 2010;82(6):621-628.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.U.S. selected practice recommendations for contraceptive use.Cromer BA, Scholes D, Berenson A, et al.Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate and bone mineral density in adolescents—the black box warning: a position paper of the Society for Adolescent Medicine.J Adolesc Health. 2006;39(2):296-301. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2006.03.011Quaas AM, Weedin EA, Hansen KR.On-label and off-label drug use in the treatment of endometriosis.Fertil Steril. 2015;103(3):612-25. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.01.006
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration: FDA AccessData.Physicial information: Depo-Provera contraceptive injection.Pharmacia.Depo-Provera contraceptive injection.Zeman S, Havlík P, Zemanová J, Němec D.Status of bone mineral density after the long-standing application of contraception Depo-Provera.Ceska Gynekol. 2013;78(1):116-24.Food and Drug Administration.Depo-Provera physician information.American Academy of Family Physicians.How to switch birth control methods.Am Fam Physician. 2011;83(5):575-576.Quaas AM, Weedin EA, Hansen KR.On-label and off-label rug use in the treatment of endometriosis.Fertility and Sterility. 2015;103(3):612-625. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.01.006Lu KH, Loose DS, Yates MS, et al.Prospective multicenter randomized intermediate biomarker study of oral contraceptive versus Depo-Provera for prevention of endometrial cancer in women with Lynch syndrome.Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2013;6(8):774-81. doi:10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-13-0020From CY, Toy AS.How much does birth control cost?Mental Health. 2022.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration: FDA AccessData.Physicial information: Depo-Provera contraceptive injection.
Pharmacia.Depo-Provera contraceptive injection.
Zeman S, Havlík P, Zemanová J, Němec D.Status of bone mineral density after the long-standing application of contraception Depo-Provera.Ceska Gynekol. 2013;78(1):116-24.
Food and Drug Administration.Depo-Provera physician information.
American Academy of Family Physicians.How to switch birth control methods.Am Fam Physician. 2011;83(5):575-576.
Quaas AM, Weedin EA, Hansen KR.On-label and off-label rug use in the treatment of endometriosis.Fertility and Sterility. 2015;103(3):612-625. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.01.006
Lu KH, Loose DS, Yates MS, et al.Prospective multicenter randomized intermediate biomarker study of oral contraceptive versus Depo-Provera for prevention of endometrial cancer in women with Lynch syndrome.Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2013;6(8):774-81. doi:10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-13-0020
From CY, Toy AS.How much does birth control cost?Mental Health. 2022.
Bonnema R, McNamara M, Spencer A.Contraception choices in women with underlying medical conditions.Am Fam Physician. 2010;82(6):621-628.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.U.S. selected practice recommendations for contraceptive use.Cromer BA, Scholes D, Berenson A, et al.Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate and bone mineral density in adolescents—the black box warning: a position paper of the Society for Adolescent Medicine.J Adolesc Health. 2006;39(2):296-301. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2006.03.011Quaas AM, Weedin EA, Hansen KR.On-label and off-label drug use in the treatment of endometriosis.Fertil Steril. 2015;103(3):612-25. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.01.006
Bonnema R, McNamara M, Spencer A.Contraception choices in women with underlying medical conditions.Am Fam Physician. 2010;82(6):621-628.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.U.S. selected practice recommendations for contraceptive use.
Cromer BA, Scholes D, Berenson A, et al.Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate and bone mineral density in adolescents—the black box warning: a position paper of the Society for Adolescent Medicine.J Adolesc Health. 2006;39(2):296-301. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2006.03.011
Quaas AM, Weedin EA, Hansen KR.On-label and off-label drug use in the treatment of endometriosis.Fertil Steril. 2015;103(3):612-25. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.01.006
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
