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The contraceptive injection contains the hormone progestogen. This is similar to the hormone progesterone that is naturally produced in the ovaries and works to prevent pregnancy.
Contains progestogen
Can help with feeling low or anxious
No protection against STIs
No one else can see it
Periods may become irregular, lighter, less painful, or stop altogether
Lasts up to 13 weeks each time. Fertility can take up to a year to return after
Can cause acne
More than 99% effective
Requires an appointment with a specialist nurse or doctor to have it fitted. You may have to use additional contraception for seven days depending where you are in your cycle when you first start using the injection.
Remembering to go for repeat injections
Pregnancy happens when sperm reaches an egg and fertilises it. The hormone in the injection works in three ways to interrupt this process:
The injection is a method of long-acting reversible contraception (or LARC). These methods don’t rely on you remembering to take them, but they do need a trained doctor or nurse to administer or fit them for you.
The most commonly used injection is Depo-Provera (or DMPA). Depo-Provera and Noristerat must be administered by a doctor or nurse. However, there is now an injection called Sayana Press which you can be taught to inject yourself at home.
Periods can become lighter, shorter or less painful. It is also common for periods to become irregular or stop altogether whilst using the injection. This is not harmful. You may experience spotting, particularly when you first start using this method. It may take a while for periods to return to normal if you stop having the injection.
The injection is available free of charge from contraceptive clinics, your GP and Brook.
Contraception and sexual health services such as Brook are free and confidential, including for people under the age of 16. Health professionals work to strict guidelines and won’t tell anyone else about your visit unless they believe you’re at serious risk of immediate harm. Find out more about Brook’s confidentiality policy.
When you go to get the injection, an appointment will typically include:
You will not be required to have a vaginal or breast examination for the injection.
Sayana Press is currently the only type of injection that you can use yourself at home. The nurse or doctor will teach you how to inject yourself and also how to dispose of the needle safely. You will be given a yearly supply of the injection to use at home (every 13 weeks). Sayana Press is not available everywhere at the moment.
Depending on the type, you will need to go back to the clinic in either 8, 12 or 13 weeks for your next injection.
Follow-up injections must be given on time. If you think your next injection is late, use condoms until you know that your contraception is definitely protecting you again.
You can have the injection at any time in your menstrual cycle if you are certain you are not pregnant. If you’re given the injection during the first five days of your period you will be protected against pregnancy immediately.
If you have the injection on any other day of your cycle you will not be protected for the first seven days, so you will need to use another method of contraception, like condoms.
You should not get the Depo injection or Sayana Press if you think you could be pregnant.
You can get the injection after a birth, abortion or miscarriage but from when you are protected does vary.
If you aren’t breastfeeding, you can have the contraceptive injection any time after giving birth.
The injection is safe to get while you are breastfeeding.
The injection can be given straight after an abortion or miscarriage.
If you get it within five days of the abortion or miscarriage, you will be protected immediately from pregnancy. If not, you will need to use alternative contraception for seven days. Any later than day five and you will need to use additional contraception for the first seven days.
If you forget to go for your next injection, you may not be protected from pregnancy depending on the type of injection you get and how long it’s been. Use contraception like condoms until you have spoken to a healthcare professional and are sure you are protected from pregnancy.
It can take up to one year for your fertility to return to normal after stopping this method. If you might be looking to get pregnant soon (within the next couple of years) this method probably isn’t the best for you-talk to a healthcare professional about your options.
Common side effects of the contraceptive injection (Depo shot/Depo-Provera/Sayana Press) include:
You should talk to your prescriber about less-common side effects of the injection.
The contraceptive injection may stop your periods, but this does not usually happen straight away. Irregular bleeding and spotting are common at first, and periods often stop after using the injection for longer.
You may feel a brief pinch or sting when the contraceptive injection is given, but most people find it only causes mild discomfort that lasts a few seconds.
100% free & confidential