History of Depo Provera
The History of Depo-Provera
Melissa D. Turley
LIS 342
University of Illinois at Springfield
In this ever-changing world of medicine, the advancement of the different forms of birth control still amaze me. Women have a choice between the old fashioned pill, Norplant implants, Net-En, and the Depo-Provera injection, just to name a few. In my research I found that the Depo-Provera injection was the most effective, noninvasive form of birth control available today.
What is it? Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate, more commonly known as Depo-Provera, is a synthetic injection of progesterone, a normal hormone that women have. This injection in its synthetic form contains crystals that slowly dissolve, resulting in a delayed release becoming effective for a longer period of time, in this case 13 weeks. Trusting that the patient has the 150 mg injection readministered intramuscularly on a strict schedule of every 13 weeks, Depo-Provera is between 99.5 and 99.7% effective, making this the most effective method of birth control, aside from abstinence (Speroff, et.al., 2001). Depo-Provera works by increasing women's levels of progesterone in the body, thereby altering ovulation by causing interference in the pituitary hormone that regulates the cycling of ovaries. Ovaries then will not go through their regular cycle, will not create nor release an egg, and therefore there is nothing to be fertilized. This also results in most patients not experiencing menstruation while on Depo-Provera (Chez, 2001). There are a couple of additional effects of Depo-Provera that act as a back up in cases where an egg is released. The uterine wall is thickened, taking on a resting or atrophic appearance, making it not ready to receive a fertilized egg. It also causes thickening of the cervical mucus, creating difficulty for sperm to pass through. When the cervical mucous becomes scant, viscous and sticky, as it does during pregnancy and during the late infertile portion of the
Melissa D. Turley
LIS 342
University of Illinois at Springfield
In this ever-changing world of medicine, the advancement of the different forms of birth control still amaze me. Women have a choice between the old fashioned pill, Norplant implants, Net-En, and the Depo-Provera injection, just to name a few. In my research I found that the Depo-Provera injection was the most effective, noninvasive form of birth control available today.
What is it? Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate, more commonly known as Depo-Provera, is a synthetic injection of progesterone, a normal hormone that women have. This injection in its synthetic form contains crystals that slowly dissolve, resulting in a delayed release becoming effective for a longer period of time, in this case 13 weeks. Trusting that the patient has the 150 mg injection readministered intramuscularly on a strict schedule of every 13 weeks, Depo-Provera is between 99.5 and 99.7% effective, making this the most effective method of birth control, aside from abstinence (Speroff, et.al., 2001). Depo-Provera works by increasing women's levels of progesterone in the body, thereby altering ovulation by causing interference in the pituitary hormone that regulates the cycling of ovaries. Ovaries then will not go through their regular cycle, will not create nor release an egg, and therefore there is nothing to be fertilized. This also results in most patients not experiencing menstruation while on Depo-Provera (Chez, 2001). There are a couple of additional effects of Depo-Provera that act as a back up in cases where an egg is released. The uterine wall is thickened, taking on a resting or atrophic appearance, making it not ready to receive a fertilized egg. It also causes thickening of the cervical mucus, creating difficulty for sperm to pass through. When the cervical mucous becomes scant, viscous and sticky, as it does during pregnancy and during the late infertile portion of the
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