Depo-Provera Shot: How It Works & What to Expect

Question
I started getting the depo provera shot in march of this year. I've had three so far and i'm due for another one in december. It's been almost two months since i've had my period and someone told me that on the shot you don't get yuor period because it makes you not release eggs. Is this true? How does the shot work? I also heard that a lot of people on the shot have trouble getting pregnant when they go off of it. My doctor never told me any of these things Is this true? How long after you go off the shot does it usually take for a women to get pregnant? After hearing all these things i'm not getting my next shot in december. I wish my doctor would have told me these things because i would have never started the shot if i knew these things. Now i'm worried i wont be able to get pregnant. Within the next 12 to 18 months i wanted to get pregnant. Please help!

Thanks
Tiffany

Answer
DepoProvera works by preventing ovulation. It is 99.9% effective in prevanting pregnancy. However, it has some annoying side effects. It can cause a complete cesation of your menstrual period, it can cause unpredictable bleeding at various times of the cycle, or it can cause irregular periods. These side effects can continue for many months even after you stop getting the shots. I don't like DepoProvera for that reason. Often it can take years to conceive because there is a delay in returning to regular periods. If you want to conceive within the next year, I would suggest that you stop taking the shots and see when you return to regular periods. If, within three months, you have not gotten a period (without taking the shot) ask your gynecologist to induce your period for you. Then, if you still want to wait before conceiving, use a diaphram or condoms until you are ready to conceive.