Can i get my period on depo shot

Q: Can you be on your period when you get the Depo shot?

Youre immediately protected after receiving the first Depo-Provera® shot if you get it during your menstrual period. If its given to you at another time during your cycle, you may need to wait a week to 10 days before having intercourse without a condom to prevent pregnancy.

Depo-Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate) is a form of birth control. It is an injection, or shot, that contains progestin. This is a natural hormone that your ovaries produce each month as part of your menstrual cycle. You must get it from your primary care or women’s doctor. They give you the injection in either your upper arm or buttock. It can go into a muscle (intramuscular) or under your skin (subcutaneous).

Table of Contents Show

Path to improved health
Things to consider
Questions to ask your doctor
At a glance: the contraceptive injection
How it works
When it starts to work
After giving birth
After a miscarriage or abortion
Who can use the injection?
Advantages and disadvantages of the injection
Where you can get it
If you're under 16 years old
Why am I getting my period on the depo shot?
Can you be on your period when you get the Depo shot?

Depo-Provera prevents pregnancy by stopping ovulation (the release of an egg by your ovaries). It thickens your cervical mucus, which makes it hard for sperm to reach and fertilize an egg. It also thins your uterine lining, which makes it hard for a fertilized egg to implant, or attach, to your uterus.

Path to improved health

Depo-Provera works for about 3 months at a time. To prevent pregnancy, you have to get 1 shot from your doctor 4 times a year, about 12 to 14 weeks apart. If you get it in the first 7 days of your cycle, it works right away. If you don’t, you’ll need to use another form of birth control for 1 week. Your doctor will confirm you are not pregnant before giving you the injection.

Most women who use Depo-Provera have changes in their menstrual periods. These may include:

Bleeding or spotting between menstrual periods.
An increase or decrease in menstrual bleeding.
No menstrual bleeding at all.

About half of women who use Depo-Provera stop having periods after 1 year. This is not harmful. Menstrual bleeding usually returns to normal when you stop using Depo-Provera. It may take about 9 to 10 months to get pregnant after your last shot.

Contact your doctor right away if you have abnormally heavy or nonstop bleeding. Other possible side effects of Depo-Provera include:

weight gain
headaches
nervousness
abdominal pain
dizziness
weakness or fatigue
osteoporosis (loss of bone density)
blood clots
chance of an ectopic pregnancy (when a pregnancy is located outside of the uterus)

Things to consider

Due to an increased risk of osteoporosis, you should limit the use of Depo-Provera to 2 years. Eat foods high in vitamin D and calcium to increase your bone density. Depo-Provera may increase your chance of having breast cancer if you begin using it before the age of 35.

Women who are breastfeeding can use Depo-Provera. You should not use it if you are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or have:

Uncontrolled high blood pressure.
Heart, kidney, or liver disease.
Breast cancer.
A history of heart attack or stroke.
Unknown vaginal bleeding.
An allergy to the drug in Depo-Provera.

Depo-Provera is effective at preventing pregnancy if you get the shots on time. The success rate is more than 99%. It is as effective as having a tubal ligation (getting your “tubes tied”). The success rate can be higher than other forms of birth control, including diaphragms, condoms, and pills. Depo-Provera does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). You and/or your partner still should use condoms to prevent getting an STD.

Questions to ask your doctor

How do I know if Depo-Provera is right for me, or if I should use another form of birth control?
Does my age play a factor in using Depo-Provera?
How long can I take Depo-Provera?
Does my insurance cover Depo-Provera?

Resources

National Institutes of Health, MedlinePlus: Medroxyprogesterone Injection

U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Birth Control: Medicines to Help You

This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject.

The contraceptive injection (Depo-Provera, Sayana Press or Noristerat) releases the hormone progestogen into your bloodstream to prevent pregnancy.

Depo-Provera is most commonly given in the UK and lasts for 13 weeks. Occasionally, Noristerat may be given, which lasts for 8 weeks.

Sayana Press also lasts for 13 weeks, but it's a newer type of injection so is not available at all clinics or GP surgeries.

At a glance: the contraceptive injection

If used correctly, the contraceptive injection is more than 99% effective.
It lasts for 8 or 13 weeks (depending on which injection you have) so you do not have to think about contraception every day or every time you have sex during this period.
It's very useful for women who find it difficult to remember to take a pill at the same time every day.
It does require you to remember to have a repeat injection before it expires or becomes ineffective.
It can be useful for women who cannot use contraception that contains oestrogen.
It's not affected by other medicines.
Side effects can include weight gain, headaches, mood swings, breast tenderness and irregular bleeding.
Your periods may become more irregular, heavier, shorter, lighter or stop altogether.
It can take up to 1 year for your fertility to return to normal after the injection wears off, so it may not be suitable if you want to have a baby in the near future.
It does not protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs), so you may need to use condoms as well.

How it works

The contraceptive injection steadily releases the hormone progestogen into your bloodstream, which prevents the release of an egg each month (ovulation).

It also thickens the cervical mucus, which makes it difficult for sperm to move through the cervix, and thins the lining of the womb so a fertilised egg is less likely to implant itself.

You usually have the Depo-Provera and Noristerat injections in your bottom, but you can have them in your upper arm.

You can have the Sayana Press injection in your tummy (abdomen) or thigh and would normally learn to do this yourself.

When it starts to work

You can have the injection at any time during your menstrual cycle, as long as you're not pregnant.

If you have the injection during the first 5 days of your menstrual cycle, you'll be immediately protected against becoming pregnant.

If you have the injection on any other day of your cycle, you'll need to use additional contraception, such as condoms, for 7 days.

After giving birth

You can have the contraceptive injection any time after you have given birth if you're not breastfeeding. If you're breastfeeding, the injection will usually be given after 6 weeks.

If you start injections on or before day 21 after giving birth, you'll be immediately protected against becoming pregnant.
If you start injections after day 21, you'll need to use additional contraception, such as condoms, for the next 7 days.

You're more likely to have heavy and irregular bleeding if you have the injection during the first few weeks after giving birth.

It's safe to use contraceptive injections while you're breastfeeding.

After a miscarriage or abortion

You can have the injection immediately after a miscarriage or an abortion and will be protected against pregnancy straight away.

If you have the injection more than 5 days after a miscarriage or abortion, you'll need to use additional contraception, such as condoms, for the next 7 days.

Who can use the injection?

Most women can have a contraceptive injection.

But it may not be suitable if you:

think you might be pregnant
do not want your periods to change
want to have a baby in the next year
have unexplained bleeding in between periods or after sex
have arterial disease or a history of heart disease or stroke
have liver disease
have breast cancer or have had it in the past
are at risk of osteoporosis

Advantages and disadvantages of the injection

Advantages:

each injection lasts for either 8 or 13 weeks
it does not interrupt sex
it's an option if you can't use oestrogen-based contraception
you do not have to remember to take a pill every day
it's safe to use while you're breastfeeding
it's not affected by other medicines
it may reduce heavy, painful periods and help with premenstrual symptoms for some women

Disadvantages:

your periods may change and become irregular, heavier, shorter, lighter or stop altogether – this can carry on for some months after you stop the injections
it does not protect you against STIs
there can be a delay of up to 1 year before your periods return to normal and you can become pregnant
some people may put on weight when they use Depo-Provera or Sayana Press contraceptive injections
you may experience side effects like headaches, acne, hair loss, decreased sex drive and mood swings
any side effects can continue for as long as the injection lasts (8 or 13 weeks) and for some time after

Risks

There's a small risk of infection at the site of the injection. In very rare cases, some people may have an allergic reaction to the injection.

Using Depo-Provera affects your natural oestrogen levels, which can cause thinning of the bones, but it does not increase your risk of breaking a bone.

This is not a problem for most women because the bone replaces itself when you stop the injection, and it does not appear to cause any long-term problems.

Sometimes the doctor may recommend that you stop after 2 years so there's no long-term effect on your bones.

Where you can get it

You can get the contraceptive injection for free, even if you're under 16, from:

contraception clinics
sexual health or genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics
GP surgeries
some young people's services

Find a sexual health clinic.

Sayana Press is a new form of Depo-Provera and is available in some clinics.

It's very similar to Depo-Provera in the way it works and the effects it can have on your body.

But you'll be taught how to give yourself the injection, rather than having a doctor or nurse give it to you.

If you're under 16 years old

Contraception services are free and confidential, including for people under the age of 16.

If you're under 16 and want contraception, the doctor, nurse or pharmacist won't tell your parents (or carer) as long as they believe you fully understand the information you're given, and the decisions you're making.

Doctors and nurses work under strict guidelines when dealing with people under 16. They'll encourage you to consider telling your parents, but they will not make you.

The only time a professional might want to tell someone else is if they believe you're at risk of harm, such as abuse.

The risk would need to be serious, and they would usually discuss this with you first.

Page last reviewed: 7 February 2018
Next review due: 7 February 2021

Why am I getting my period on the depo shot?

The birth control shot delivers a high dose of the hormone progestin. Progestin is a synthetic version of progesterone, which is a naturally occurring sex hormone in the body. Irregular bleeding is the most common side effect of the birth control shot. For many women, that side effect often goes away over time.

Can you be on your period when you get the Depo shot?

You're immediately protected after receiving the first Depo-Provera® shot if you get it during your menstrual period. If it's given to you at another time during your cycle, you may need to wait a week to 10 days before having intercourse without a condom to prevent pregnancy.