Pregnancy after 3 months of needles!
Today, there are various contraceptive methods available for women. Birth control pills and spirals are the most preferred ones. However, there are other alternatives for women who forget to take the pill, who cannot use a spiral for some reason or who are looking for an easier way of contraception.
Monthly contraceptive injections are one of them. These injections come in two types, monthly and quarterly, and are administered by injection. Compared to other methods, their duration of protection against pregnancy after administration is much longer. For this reason, pregnancy after the injections are stopped is a matter of curiosity. Especially women may have many questions about pregnancy after three monthly injections.
So what are the effects of three-month injections on fertility? How long after stopping the injections can you get pregnant?
What is the 3-month contraceptive shot?
A contraceptive injection containing "150 mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA)", a type of pure progesterone hormone, is called a three-month contraceptive injection, also known as depot provera. It is also commonly known as a contraceptive vaccine.
Depo provera is a type of injection that is administered to women every three months by intramuscular injection in the shoulder or hip area. Thanks to its intense hormone content, it provides protection against pregnancy by acting on ovulation.
How do monthly contraceptive injections protect against pregnancy?
Monthly injections work in a similar way to the contraceptive pill. The contraceptive pill is taken as a single tablet every day and if the daily dose is forgotten, an additional contraceptive is needed. But monthly injections are given on the same date every three months.
The fact that it is a single injection eliminates the possibility of forgetting and makes it convenient to use. Apart from these differences, both pills and injections contain hormone supplements that prevent ovulation. With the contraceptive pill, this supplement is provided on a daily basis, whereas with the contraceptive injection, it is injected into the body in a single injection, providing protection for a month or three months.
The effects of depot provera on the female reproductive system are as follows;
- The high dose of progesterone hormone sent into the body affects ovulation by stopping the body's production of progesterone.
- It stops egg cell production and release in the ovaries.
- It decreases the mobility of the tubes and eliminates the possibility of pregnancy.
- It changes and disrupts the structure of the cervical secretion and this secretion changes the structure of sperm, preventing pregnancy.
What are the chances of getting pregnant after 3 months of injections?
Pregnancy is one of the most common concerns for women who are considering or already using contraceptive injections.
Three-month injections have been practiced around the world for more than 30 years. They are one of the most reliable family planning methods. Because the success rate is more than 99%. This means that only 1 out of every 100 women who use depo provera will become pregnant. This percentage is considered very reliable, given that there is no form of contraception that can achieve 100% success.
- In women who are protected with three monthly injections, regular injections reduce the chance of pregnancy by up to 0.3%. The important thing in use is to follow the injection time and give the injection without being late. Injections should be given on the same date every three months, but if this is not possible, injections can be given about a week in advance. If there is a delay of more than a week, a supplementary contraceptive method is required on the advice of a doctor or the injection can be given after a pregnancy test.
- Another factor affecting the likelihood of becoming pregnant is the timing of the injection. Injections should be given within the first 5 days of menstruation. While injections in the first 5 days provide immediate protection, injections after the 5th day may not provide complete protection and an additional method is needed.
How long after stopping 3-month injections can pregnancy occur?
Another curious question is how long after stopping the use of depot provera, pregnancy is possible.
Depo provera has an intense progesterone hormone content. When the body is supplemented with such a large dose of hormone, the effects of the hormone will also be long-lasting. For this reason, for various reasons or in cases where it is decided to have a baby, it may not be possible to get pregnant immediately after stopping the injections.
- After stopping the injections, the effects of the hormone may continue in the body for approximately 6-12 months. In other words, even if the use of depot provera is stopped, it takes a certain period of time for the effects of the last injection to disappear completely. You can become pregnant again in about 1 year.
- Menstrual irregularities are one of the most common side effects. It can take up to 18 months at the latest for the user's menstrual cycle to return to normal. The possibility of pregnancy also increases after the old pattern is reached.
Do Depo Provera Injections Cause Infertility?
If people who have regular sexual intercourse do not have any health problems or reproductive system disorders, pregnancy can occur in about a year. This is a general time period that experts indicate for everyone. If pregnancy does not occur for up to a year, this is considered normal if there are no other problems.
Despite this information, women who use Depo provera injections may be concerned about whether the injections can cause infertility. Although the high dose of the injections and the fact that they are not immediately eliminated from the body may prolong the time to conception, the likelihood of pregnancy after three months of injections is no different from other contraceptive methods. It should also be noted that the injections do not have any negative effect on fertility.
