Provera and Pregnancy: Understanding Period Effects - Dr. Rappaport

Question
Dr. Rappaport...

I just wanted to make sure I understood your reply correctly concerning Provera and being pregnant.  The reason is because I took Provera 2 times in the past and each time resulted in a period.  Once it was a day or 2 after finishing the 10 day dose and the next month I started after taking 3 or 4 Provera pills.  

So, if these pills caused a period, then I wasn't pregnant, correct?

Thanks so much for your time and helping!  It means a lot to so many!  : )

God bless!  

Answer
In the old days, prior to the development of pregnancy tests, we used Provera to determine if a patient was pregnant. If , after taking Provera, the patient got a period, we know that she was not pregnant. We use Provera to induce a period ,now, in a patient who is late for her period, but the pregnancy test is negative. Once we give provera (10mg twice a day for 5 days, or 10 mg once a day for 10 days) the period usually starts within a few days.