How does the Depo-Provera shot affect your body?
Depo-Provera is the brand name for a progestin-based contraceptive injection known as depot medroxyprogesterone acetate. Not only does the shot work by suppressing ovulation, it also thickens the cervical mucus while thinning the uterine lining to prevent pregnancy.
In other words, it prevents the ovaries from releasing an egg, hinders sperm from fertilizing an egg in the uterus, and furthermore hinders a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterine lining.
For continual effectiveness, injections must be administered every 90 days for three months. Medroxyprogesterone acetate is stored (or “depoted”) at the injection site, allowing progesterone levels to peak and then gradually decline over this period. Ovulation should resume once progesterone levels drop below a certain level because progesterone levels must be at a certain level to prevent it. It is 99% effective in preventing pregnancy if used properly and has no long-term effects on your fertility
What Is the Depo Shot and How Does it Work?
Depo-Provera, also known as depot medroxyprogesterone acetate or DMPA, is the brand name of an injectable contraceptive drug. One dose of this medication can deliver dependable birth control for three months. Depo-Provera contains progestin, a synthetic form of the hormone progesterone. Sperm have a difficult time passing through the reproductive canal because progestin decreases ovulation and thickens the cervical mucus. In this manner, even if ovulation takes place, the sperm will not be able to enter the fallopian tube and fertilize the egg. Contrary to birth control pills, which must be taken every day, the Depo injection is only necessary every 90 days. This is because the injection forms a depot, or storage reserve, of progesterone in the body at the injection site.
After receiving the injection, the body’s progesterone level gradually increases until it reaches its peak after three weeks, when it starts to gradually decline. Around 50% of women who take regular Depo injections for a year will stop menstruating Ovulation and menstruation recommence when the body’s progesterone levels return to normal.
Detecting Ovulation Using a Basal Body Temperature Chart
Your body’s temperature at rest is known as your basal body temperature (BBT). This changes when you are ovulating. By using a thermometer and a BBT chart, you can monitor this at home. Your BBT will increase when you ovulate and stay elevated until the beginning of your period. After that, it will decline and remain unchanged until you ovulate again. You can accurately predict when you will ovulate by monitoring and measuring your BBT for a few cycles.
