Birth Control Shots
An easy to administrate contraceptive solution, the birth control shot makes a good choice for lots of couples all over the world. It contains progesterone only, with the hormone being slowly released into the body. The main impact of this hormone is to prevent ovulation, meaning that there will be no egg release monthly.
In comparison with the hormonal pill, the birth control shot has a higher efficiency range. Only 3 out of 100 couples experienced unplanned pregnancy with the shot while for the pill the incidence is 8 in 100. The chances of getting pregnant are very high if you don’t administer the next shot on time.
There is no protection against sexually transmitted diseases with the birth control shot. Plus, there are physiological changes that could be an inconvenience while using this birth control method. Here are some common side effects to the shot:
-irregular menstrual periods;
-headaches, breast tenderness and weight gain;
-depression and mood changes.
Overweight is the most difficult to fight back if it appears as a side effect, because hormonal imbalances are harder to correct. Other long-term side effects have been reported in relation to the use of the progesterone birth control shot. Thus, studies indicate that it increases the incidence of loss in bone density which could lead to osteoporosis.
In case you decide that the birth control shot is a good option for you, talk to your health care provider and make sure that your daily calcium intake is enough to support the hormonal treatment without loss of bone density. Moreover, fertility may be harder to recover after the long term use of the birth control shots. The fertility problem is not permanent, and women can recover in time, but difficulties could appear along the way.
We should also expose some health issues or conditions that make the use of the birth control shot problematic. You should not administer it if you suffer from any of the following:
-headaches;
-disorders with blood coagulation;
-unexplained vaginal bleeding;
-thrombosis;
-cancer;
-suspected pregnancy.
The costs of the birth control shot are moderate, and they are often covered by the health insurance plan. You just need to contact your doctor’s office and find out what you need to do in order to have access to such birth control treatment.
Moreover, do not use other drugs or herbal supplements in parallel with the birth control shot because you could reduce the efficiency. If you must follow a medical treatment, then use some alternative birth control method.