Contraceptive injection
The contraceptive injection protects against pregnancy for 3 months.
How does it work?
- This contraceptive contains hormones, but is an injection instead of a pill. A doctor gives you the injection in your buttock, arm, thigh or abdomen.
- The contraceptive injection releases the hormone progestogen into your bloodstream. That prevents ovulation, so no egg is released. It also thickens the mucus in the cervix, making it more difficult for sperm to reach the egg. And it makes it more difficult for a fertilised egg to implant itself in the uterus.
- A contraceptive injection protects against pregnancy for 12 weeks (3 months). After that, you go for a new injection.
- The contraceptive injection is very reliable. It’s even more reliable than the pill, as you don’t have to think about it every day.
How do you go about it?
- Ask your doctor if this contraceptive is suitable for you.
- Make an appointment with your doctor to have the injection.
- The contraceptive injection protects you for 12 weeks. After that, you get a new injection.
- Put the date for getting a new injection in your diary.
Where can you get the contraceptive injection?
You can get a contraceptive injection done by your own doctor or at a Sense clinic.
Your period
If you have contraceptive injections, your period will change. You may bleed less, or not have a period at all. You may have some bleeding or spotting when you’re not expecting it. That’s perfectly normal and there’s nothing wrong. The contraceptive injection makes sure that you don’t ovulate, so no egg is released. And no mucus builds up in your uterus that would need to be discharged.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages:
- The contraceptive injection is very reliable.
- 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 contraceptive injection is even reliable if you vomit or have diarrhoea.
- No one can see that you’re using contraception.
Disadvantages:
- You have to go to your doctor every 3 months to have an injection.
- If you have side effects, it may take 3 months for these to go away. That’s because the hormones in the injection remain active during that whole period.
- When you stop having injections, it may take anything from a couple of months to a year before you have your periods again.
- You may have some unexpected bleeding or spotting.
- You may put on some weight.
- The hormones in the injection can have an effect on your bone development if you’re still growing.
- The contraceptive injection doesn’t protect against STIs.
Are there any side effects?
When you start having injections, you might have side effects like:
- irregular blood loss
- headaches
- acne
- hair loss
- painful breasts
- low moods
- weight gain
Usually, the side effects disappear after a couple of months. If a side effect becomes very unpleasant, go to your doctor or the Sense clinic.
When do you run the risk of pregnancy?
If you are too late getting your next contraceptive injection, or you stop having injections, you could get pregnant.