With the population currently experiencing a drastic rise, women now are becoming more aware of the need for family planning and the use of birth control. With the abundance of different birth control methods in the market, ladies are looking for highly effective but reversible contraceptive means. One of the more effective and less tedious contraceptive available is the birth control shot or what they call injectable contraceptives.

The Injectable Contraceptive

The birth control shot is a progestin injection that is administered every three months. The most commonly used brand of injectable contraceptive is Depo-provera. Like any other hormonal contraceptive, it works to suppress ovulation by altering the hormone level of the woman, thicken the cervical mucus lining to create a hostile environment for sperm, and thin a woman's uterine lining to make implantation of fertilized egg more difficult. As little as three out of a hundred couples religiously taking birth control shots every three months will have an accidental pregnancy. Of course, you increase the risk of getting pregnant if you go farther than three months before returning for your birth control shot.

Although it is a highly effective means of birth control, it does not give you protection from any sexually transmitted diseases (STD). It has also been reported to be associated to a loss of bone density. For women who continually use injectable contraceptives during pregnancy, it may cause them to have premature labor.

But on the positive side, it helps decrease risks of developing endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, and pelvic inflammatory disease. It also helps lessen menstrual cramping and pain, and reduces the chances of having anemia. It decreases the occurrence of the different symptoms of endometriosis. It has also been said to reduce incidence of seizures in women with epilepsy. The best part of using this form of contraceptive is that it doesn't require for a daily ritual of taking pills.

Side effects

Even with its positive feedback, using birth control shots has its side effects. Among these side effects are:

lIt affects menstrual bleeding. After using birth control shots for a year, fifty-five percent of women experienced an absence of their monthly period, or amenorrhea; after the second year of usage, the rate increases to sixty-eight percent. During the first few months of using Depo-provera, irregular bleeding or spotting, or sometimes heavy or continuous bleeding has been reported.

lReversibility of effects may be delayed. At an average, it takes around nine to ten months after the last injection before fertility is restored. By the eighteenth month after the last birth control shot, fertility is fully restored to the way it was before using any contraceptive method.

lWomen who have had accidental pregnancies after being given the birth control shot have a substantially higher risk of delivering babies with low birth weight and may have an eighty percent greater-than-usual odds of dying in their first year of life.

lUsing birth control shots may cause physical discomfort like: weight changes, headaches, weakness, fatigue, and nervousness.

Choosing the right kind of birth control method depends on how your body reacts to it. Birth control shots is one of the many effective forms of contraceptive. Make sure to choose one that works best for you.