What is the shot?
The shot is used to prevent pregnancy. You get the shot in your hip. The shot gives you a dose of the hormone progestin. The shot is often called by its brand name, Depo-Provera, or sometimes called "the birth control injection."
Progestin prevents pregnancy in these ways: It thickens the mucus in the cervix. This makes it hard for sperm to travel into the uterus. It also thins the lining of the uterus, which makes it harder for a fertilized egg to attach to the uterus. Progestin can sometimes stop the ovaries from releasing an egg each month (ovulation).
The shot provides birth control for 3 months at a time. You then need another shot.
The shot may cause bone loss. Talk to your healthcare provider about the risks and benefits.
How well does it work?
When the shot is used exactly as directed, it is more than 99% effective for preventing pregnancy. That means that fewer than 1 out of 100 people who use it will have an unplanned pregnancy. But when the shot is not used exactly as directed, it is about 94% effective. This means that about 6 out of 100 people who use it will have an unplanned pregnancy.
Be sure to tell your healthcare provider about any health problems you have or medicines you take. Your healthcare provider can help you choose the birth control method that is right for you.
Where can you learn more?
Go to https://www.healthwise.net/patientEd
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