Depo-Provera and Fertility

[Kailur]

Hello, I was just wondering if anyone out there knows anything about the long term use of Depo-Provera Contraceptive. I have been using it for a few years now, and have no plans of stopping using it anytime soon, as I am in college and will be for quite some time to come. I know that I am putting myself at risk for Osteoporosis by using it for a long time. But what I don't know is considering the fact that since being on Depo, I have had pretty much no menstrual cycle for a very long time. I was never really regular with my period before going on the Depo, either. Could I be somehow harming my reproductive system by being without a period for so long? I know that I definately want to have children in the future, and I would be very upset if I had inadvertently made it harder for myself to have my own children.

[findinghumility]

I don't know the actual percentages, but among people we counsel it seems to take much less time for women on the pill to start ovulating again and get pregnant vs ones using Depo-Provera. This is a generalization but I would say return to ovulation with using your typical birth control pill is from 1 - 3 months.  With Depo it's more common to be between 3 - 18 months or longer. This can vary from woman to woman depending on how your body responds to your birth control and if you have any underlying fertility problems you are unaware of.

[gokuangel]

if you havent had kids (and plan on having them) then you should NOT be on it! The main ingredient in it is what they give to sexual predators in prison so they wont have sexual urges!! I read up on this and was shocked to learn it and that i had taken it! Needless to say i have been off for 5yrs and i am still NOT pregnant!! I know some peeps are more lucky than others as far as getting off it and getting prego (my SIL only tried for 12months) but some are not and if you had irregular cycles b4 then you might not be so lucky it just depends! Not trying to scare you but just giving you my story and what i heard! I l try to find the article again if you interested in reading about!