DEPO-PROVERA - WHEREFORE ART THOU

The depot form of medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) has been shown clearly to have very high efficacy as a contraceptive, with its major mechanism of action being suppression of the midcycle LH surge with resultant anovulation. Few data are available for adults and none for adolescents regarding acceptance rates in this country. The most common side effect is amenorrhea which increases over time; mild-to-moderate weight gain and headaches are also fairly common. Although DMPA appears to exert a diabetogenic effect, it is mild and remains subclinical in women who do not have a prediabetic metabolic profile. Although malignant changes have been reported in the breasts of beagles and the uteri of monkeys on high doses, almost no increased incidences of related cancers have been reported in humans.