Advantages:
- Lasts for 13 weeks
- Don’t have to think about contraception for as long as it lasts
- Not affected by diarrhoea and vomiting, as not absorbed by the tummy
- May make periods lighter and less painful
- Can self-inject once assessed – meaning only one clinic visit per year
Disadvantages:
- Bleeding may stop or become irregular or heavier
- Fertility may take up to 12 months to return after stopping the injection
- No protection against STIs
- Some people gain weight
- Can cause slight thinning of the bones mostly in younger people or women over 50 (usually recovers once the injection is stopped)
Comments:
- Injection cannot be removed from the body, so any side effects may continue for as long as the injection lasts.
- Important to have your next injection at the right time.
- Not affected by other medicines.
Further information: