Bone Density and Depo-Provera

Once a woman stops using Depo-Provera, there's a substantial recovery in her bone density:

The bone loss associated with injectable depot medroxyprogesterone acetate [Depo-Provera] can be partially recovered within a few years of discontinuation, Andrew M. Kaunitz, M.D., reported at the annual meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Moreover, use of this agent does not warrant regular bone scans for users, said Dr. Kaunitz, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Florida Health Sciences Center in Jacksonville.

When deciding if Depo-Provera might be a good method for you, here's something to consider :

"Nursing moms also lose BMD—and not the 1%-2% annually that we see with DMPA use, but 4%-5% in the first year of the baby's life," he said. "After weaning, just as after discontinuation of DMPA, BMD recovers. And we know from many studies that breast-feeding is not a long-term risk factor for osteoporosis or fractures."