Medroxyprogesterone acetate
injectible form of birth control
Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), whose injectable form is known as depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) and sold under the brand name Depo-Provera among others, is a hormonal medication of the progestin type. The injectable form is used as a method of birth control and to treat endometriosis, and the tablet form is used as a part of menopausal hormone therapy or to treat abnormal uterine bleeding and certain types of cancers. It is also used to treat paraphilias. The medication is available both alone and in combination with an estrogen. It may be taken by mouth, used under the tongue, or by injection into a muscle or fat.
Common side effects include menstrual disturbances such as absence of periods, abdominal pain, and headaches. More serious side effects include bone loss, blood clots, allergic reactions, and liver problems. Use is not recommended during pregnancy as it may increase the risk of low birth weight. MPA is an artificial progestogen, and as such activates the progesterone receptor, the biological target of progesterone. It also has androgenic activity and weak glucocorticoid activity.
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This entry incorporates text from “Medroxyprogesterone acetate” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.