Bone Mineral Density (BMD)
When Depo Provera was approved for use in the U.S. in 1992, preliminary research indicated that women who used Depo Provera experienced a loss of bone mineral density (BMD), which might put them at higher risk for osteoporosis and bone fractures later in life.
Depo-Provera is a progesterone-based contraceptive shot injected into the arm, upper thigh or abdomen. It is 97-99.7% effective in preventing pregnancy. Each shot lasts for about 13 weeks.
The National Women’s Health Network believes that everyone should have access to safe and effective contraception. If you have been experiencing severe pain, please report this to your doctor immediately.
The way we screen and treat osteoporosis is still deeply flawed. The NWHN thinks women deserve better, and we’re fighting to make that vision a reality.
Pharmaceutical companies trying to sell drugs have pushed for the adoption of flawed screening techniques that medicalized age-related bone loss. The result? Many healthy women were prescribed osteoporosis drugs despite their serious side effects and risks.
For decades, women’s health advocates have been concerned about the safety of Depo-Provera, the progesterone-based contraceptive shot (the shot).