menstrual pattern and occurrence of pregnancy one year after discontinuation of depo-medroxy progesterone acetate as a postpartum contraceptive

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out on a total of 591 cases who used depo-medroxy-progesterone acetate [DMPA] as a postpartum contraceptive method. These cases were allowed to receive up to four 300 mg DMPA injections given every 6 months. The 1st injection was given 2-4 weeks postpartum. The menstrual pattern and occurrence of pregnancy were studied one year after discontinuation of one, two, three or four injections. The incidence of amenorrhoea and/or oligo-hypomenorrhoea was found to be higher after discontinuation of the 3rd or 4th injections [56% and 38.7%] than after other hand, abnormal bleeding was less frequent after discontinuation of the 3rd or 4th injection [8.8% and 6.9%] than after discontinuation of one or two injections [18.7% and 19.8]. Regarding the occurrence of pregnancy, the number of injections did not affect significantly the incidence of pregnancy one year after discontinuation of the method: