Depo-Provera is a birth control method available to women involving an injection with a drug very similar to progesterone, a hormone normally produced by the ovaries every month as part of the menstrual cycle. Depo-Provera prevents pregnancy by preventing ovulation for up to three months with each injection.

Depo-Provera is as effective at preventing pregnancy as tubal ligation and more effective than several other methods, including birth control pills, condoms and diaphragms.

Depo-Provera should not be used for more than two years, however, because it may cause the loss of bone calcium, leading to osteoporosis.

For referrals to physicians providing Depo-Provera services at Columbia Center, please call Diane Oakland at 262.243.6631.