menstrual pattern and side effects of depo-medroxy progesterone acetate as a postpartum contraceptive

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out on 591 women who agreed to use depo-medroxy progesterone acetate [DMPA] as a long term post-partum injectable contraceptive among 1306 cases who delivered in 4 villages in lower Egypt during the period of the study. These women were allowed to receive up to four-six monthly 300 mg DMPA injections. The first injection was given 2-4 weeks postpartum. One month after the first injection, 61% of the women were amenorrhoeic and 35% suffered from abnormal bleeding. Seven months after injection, the amenorrhoeic cases had increased to 72% while the bleeding cases declined to 23%. Thirteen months after the first injection, the amenorrhoeic cases increased to 88% and the bleeding cases declined to 8%. After 1.5 years, the incidence of amenorrhoea was still high [88.9%] and bleeding was 11%. The commonest type of abnormal bleeding was spotting while continuous or severe bleeding was rare. Regarding the side effects of the drug, general weakness came as the most common main complaint, others were arthralgia, headache, dyspepsia and breast discomfort