Sex-iversity is a question and answer column designed to provide important information and answers to questions regarding sex, sexuality, sexual orientation, sexually transmitted infections and reproductive rights. Voiced by Julia Kristan, a member of the Voices for Planned Parenthood (VOX) group here at the University of Massachusetts and an active volunteer for the Everywoman's Center on campus, the column is intended to help educate the university community about reproductive health, rights, legislation and responsibilities. Much of the statistical information provided in this column derives from research done through and obtained by Planned Parenthood and its national affiliates.
Q. I've seen Depo-Provera ads all over campus lately. What is Depo and what does it do?
A. Depo-Provera, or "the shot," is an injectable hormonal contraceptive. The shot puts progestin into a woman's muscle tissue where it remains time-releasing for approximately three months. For that duration, Depo thickens the cervical mucus, can prevent ovaries from releasing eggs and can prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterine lining. The contraceptive effectiveness is extremely high, at 99.7 percent with continuous use. It is one of the most effective contraceptives on the market today.
Depo-Provera has been used in cases to treat endometriosis because one of the side effects of the shot can be amenorrhea, or the loss of menstruation. Conversely, many women experience extra-heavy bleeding while on Depo. The majority of women receiving Depo-Provera will experience changes in their menstrual cycle.
It has also been used in the prison system to treat sex offenders, as another one of its side effects is loss of libido. No, I'm not kidding you here; Depo has some serious power in a person's body. It does the same thing to scores of women getting the shot as it does to the imprisoned sex offenders, reducing their libidos drastically.
The shot has been shown to cause a decrease in bone density. This is concerning for all women, although especially so for adolescent girls. Bone density growth is vital for healthy bodies and is needed stave off the problem of osteoporosis later in life. However, Depo-Provera is often prescribed for teenage girls to "combat the epidemic of teen pregnancy" that many people reference. Consideration is seemingly not given to the health of the young women when they are being put on this potent drug.
Aside from the aforementioned serious side effects, Depo can bring a change in appetite, weight gain, hair loss, increased hair on the face or body, nervousness, skin rashes or spotty darkening of the skin, headaches, nausea, dizziness and sore breasts. Any of these side effects are not reversed until the shot has worn off, or after three months. On top of all that, Depo-Provera provides no protection against STDs, so if you are intimate with a partner who has not been recently tested, please use a condom or a dental dam!
Depression is a major side effect of Depo-Provera, and should you be on the shot, you should be under the supervision of a doctor. Women can be their own best advocates, so women on the shot should monitor themselves for mood swings, irritability and feelings of depression, and seek medical intervention if needed.
With so many serious side effects, why would anyone want to take Depo? That's a question I hope people can weigh out for themselves. Under proper medical care combined with personal diligence to health, Depo can be a viable option for contraception for some people. Unfortunately, Depo-Provera has been marketed heavily to poor women, women of color, young women with multiple pregnancies and mentally retarded women. This tactic takes control out of the hands of women and into those of the health care practitioners. The shot is often administered to women thought to be "too stupid" to use condoms or other means of birth control on a consistent basis.
Depo-Provera has been utilized in Third World countries for approximately 30 years as a method of population control, where the health risks to the women are seen as less important than controlling which women have children and how often. The FDA denied approving Depo for the American markets several times before the drug was finally approved in 1992. They denied approval because there were so many side effects.
Depo might be a good option for plenty of women out there. Before you or someone you care about goes on the shot though, get some more information and ask questions. Will your doctor be honest and forthcoming with information on Depo? Are you willing to endure any side effects for at least three months? Is there another more suitable method for you? Think about it.
Information from www.plannedparenthood.org, "A Critical Look at Depo-Provera" by Steven Baran and "A Critical Perspective ... Depo-Provera" by Maureen Mc Hugh was used in this article.
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