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Not long after I first met my fiancee, I began taking Depo Provera, to minimize the risk of getting pregnant (I want kids someday, but a couple more rubber duckies need to be lined up before I feel comfortable doing so). I went to the Health department (I cannot afford to go to a gynecologist), and began taking Depo. Depo Provera is a shot which is taken in the fatty tissue in your rear end and only has to be taken about once every three months (11 to 13 weeks). I have trouble remembering to take pills, so the shot seemed like the best solution for me.

The good things I have experienced:

Well, I'm not pregnant and not a mother! I guess that part worked out for me.

For the first few months on the shot, I had no period or bleeding at all.

I only had to take the shot once every 12 weeks, so there was no worry about forgetting to take a daily regimen. I forgot that I had an appointment once, but that was alright, there is a two week buffer period where you have to take the shot. I wound up being two days late to get my shot.

I did not have to bring anything home with me, the shot is administered there, so there was no need to worry about someone I didn't want finding my birth control. Or something like it falling out of my purse. That can be embarrasing.

However, as with most things, I have complaints about Depo Provera as well as praise.

The bad things I experienced with Depo Provera:

After the initial couple of months taking the shot, I began to have a constant bleeding. Out of one whole year I took the shot, the total number of days I did not have bleeding amounted to less than two months. The information I was given on Depo Provera mentions irregular bleeding, but it is supposed to be light and irregular, not constant! At least it was light.

Even after being off of the shot for a little over one month now, I have had almost constant bleeding. It is just heavier now.

Like most birth controls will do, this shot made my blood pressure rise. For most people, this can be no problem, but I already have hypertension and an irregular heart beat. There were times when I felt like I was about to have a heart attack. Not to mention the headaches I get from my blood pressure. This is the main reason that I am no longer taking any kind of birth control.

Other things you should know about depo provera:

Depo Provera is a little over 99% effective. You should still practice safe sex while on the shot. The only thing that is 100% effective against pregnancy is not having sex at all.

I have never heard of anything that Depo Provera protects a woman against except for pregnancy. This means that you can still get all of those STDs, like herpes and AIDs.

Most women will not return to full fertility for up to ten months after discontinuing the shot.

Depo Provera cannot be taken for more than 2 years, due to a possible and irreversible loss of calcium if the shot is taken for too long.

Overall opinion:

Personally, I do not have a high opinion of Depo Provera, due to the side effects that I experienced (the blood pressure and especially the bleeding). However, this form of birth control is a good option for many women. If I were you, I would consult a gynecologist before deciding which form of birth control is best for you.

Learn more about this author, Stephanie A. Smith.
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