Contraceptive injection
This contraceptive contains hormones, but is an injection instead of a pill. The injection protects you against pregnancy for 3 months. It is very reliable.
How does it work?
The hormones in the contraceptive injection make sure that you don’t get pregnant. 1 injection protects you against pregnancy for 12 weeks (3 months).
What you need to know
- Ask your doctor if this injection is suitable for you.
- A doctor gives you the injection. So you have to go to a doctor or other healthcare provider for each injection.
- A contraceptive injection protects you for 12 weeks.
Where can you get the contraceptive injection?
A doctor gives you the injection every 3 months, either at your own doctor’s practice or at a Sense clinic.
Your period
You can’t postpone your period or bleeds with the contraceptive injection.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages:
- You only need to think about it once every 3 months.
- You'll have your period less often. After 1 year, your period usually stops completely.
- The injection is even reliable if you’re vomiting or have diarrhoea.
- Nobody can tell that you are using contraception.
Disadvantages:
- You have to go to your doctor or a Sense clinic every 3 months to have an injection.
- You can’t get rid of any side effects straight away. The hormones in the contraceptive injection stay in your body for 3 months.
- When you do stop, it may take anything from a couple of months to a year before you’re fertile again.
- You may have bleeds between periods.
- You may have some unexpected vaginal bleeding.
Are there any side effects?
When you start having the contraceptive injection, you might have some side effects. That’s because your body has to get used to the hormones the injection contains. Possible side effects are:
- irregular blood loss
- headaches
- acne
- hair loss
- painful breasts
- low moods
- weight gain
Usually, the side effects disappear after a couple of months. If you’re having trouble with them, get in touch with your doctor or a Sense clinic.
Bleeds
If you have contraceptive injections, you may have some unexpected vaginal bleeding.
When do you run the risk of pregnancy?
If you are too late getting your next contraceptive injection (later than 3 months).