Progestin Injections

What happens later at home?

Over-the-counter pain medicines, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, can be used as needed for pain or swelling.

What are the potential complications after the procedure?

There is less chance of getting pregnant with progestin injections than with oral contraceptives, or birth control pills. This is mainly because a woman does not need to remember to take a pill every day.

Unfortunately, many women develop irregular vaginal bleeding. They may not have one period every month. They may have multiple episodes each month of bleeding for several days. Sometimes a woman's period may last longer than it did before beginning the shots. Other women may find that their periods are shorter than before. These problems may cause a woman to want to stop using the injections for birth control. Many women will stop having periods within a year of using this form of birth control. Some of the other possible side effects are as follows:

Progestin injections decrease a woman's bone mass and may put her at risk for osteoporosis. Bone loss tends to be greatest during the first few years of use. It then drops to a rate of bone loss similar to that of women of the same age. The effects on bone density are reversible once the injections are stopped.

Using progestin injections may slightly increase the risk of breast cancer. Some research has shown no increase in risk. Other studies have shown a small increase in risk. Once a woman stops the progestin injections, her overall chances of becoming pregnant are not different from women who never used the injections. However, a woman who has used the injections may take a longer time to become pregnant.