Depo Provera (depot medroxyprogesterone acetate) is a birth control product manufactured by Pfizer Inc. It is a hormonal birth control method for women in the form of an injection in the skin once every 11 to 13 weeks. Depo Provera causes the ovaries to stop producing eggs, preventing pregnancy (99.7% effective). A side effect (and to some a benefit) is that many women stop having a regular menstrual cycle while on the drug.

Depo Provera is also used with male sex offenders as a form of chemical castration as it has the effect of drastically reducing sex drive in males.

Side effects

Recent research has shown that Depo Provera significantly decreases bone density in women, as compared with others in the same age group. Depo Provera is also said to have many other side effects, including loss of interest in sexual activity, infertility, splitting head aches, constant bleeding, weight gain, panic attacks, muscle pain, heart palpitations, pain during sex, and acne. The Depo Provera web site compiled by Shelly Borsit contains several thousand personal testimonials from women who have suffered from Depo Provera side effects.

Black box warning

While it has long been known that Depo Provera causes bone loss, it has recently been discovered that the osteoporotic effects of the injection grow worse the longer Depo Provera is administered and may last long after the injections are stopped. For this reason, on November 17 of 2004 the US Food and Drug Administration and Pfizer agreed to put a "black box" warning on Depo Provera's label. The details of this black box warning can be found on The FDA's Website.