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Getting a Shot for Contraceptive
Purposes
Do you have trouble remembering to take your birth control
pill? The reason behind most of the pregnancies that occur when
women are taking a birth control pill happen because the woman
forget to take the pill or did not take the pill properly. Of
course, life happens, and it can be hard to remember to pop
that pill at the same time every day. If you find that
remembering to take your birth control pill is hard for you,
and you are in a relationship in which you don’t want to have
to use birth control methods that are used during intercourse
(condoms, sponges, etc), then contraceptive shots may be right
for you. Contraceptive shots – birth control shots you get on a
regular basis – are highly effective and can prevent accidental
pregnancies that happen from using other forms of birth control
incorrectly.
There is one main kind of contraceptive shot – Depo-Provera.
The birth control in this shot is a triple threat when it comes
to preventing pregnancy. First, the hormones in the shot stop
ovulation, or at least inhibit it. In case that doesn’t work,
the shot also works on the mucus on your cervix, changing it so
that the sperm has a hard time in getting through to your
fallopian tubes to fertilize an egg. The last barrier of
protection provided by the contraceptive shot is that prevents
the lining of the uterus from building up so that any egg that
somehow is fertilizes will not implant.
The contraceptive shot is of course popular with women who
enjoy its convenience. You get a shot once every three months
(given by a doctor or nurse in your arm or your buttock), and
then there is no worrying about remembering birth control every
day. There are other benefits to the shot as well, though. The
birth control shot does not contain any estrogen – it uses
progestin – and so it has fewer side effects than estrogen oral
birth control pills and is a safer choice for some women. The
shot is also popular because it is private. Once the shot is
over, no one knows you are using any method of birth control
except for you.
That does not mean there are not risks associated with the
contraceptive shot, however. Breakthrough bleeding – that is,
bleeding between your periods – is very likely, especially as
your body adjusts to the hormones in the shot. Some weight gain
is possible, though less than with estrogen based oral birth
control pills. Headaches, fatigue, irritability, and stomach
cramping are all also common complaints when the shot is first
started. For most women, these unpleasant effects go away once
they adjust to the shot, but if they become ongoing problems;
your doctor will probably take you off the shot. Around half of
the patients who try the contraceptive shot only get it once
because of the side effects and move on to a different kind of
birth control method that they find easier to tolerate.
If you think you want to try the contraceptive shot, you should
be aware that it may take a few visits to the doctor before you
are able to get it. Your shot must be delivered at exactly the
right time in your menstrual cycle to be effective – usually
five days after your period begins. Your doctor will also want
to take a complete medical history to make sure the
contraceptive shot is safe for you. You should also remember,
of course, that the contraceptive shot will not provide you
with any protection from sexually transmitted diseases. The
only way to protect yourself from these is to use a
condom.
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