A new study published in the February issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine has revealed that use of the injectable contraceptive depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA; Depo-Provera) in adolescents is associated with bone loss. The authors cite several studies showing an association between DMPA injectable contraception and decreased bone mineral density (BMD). This may be of particular concern in adolescents, who are still gaining bone.

"Use of DMPA contraception in adolescents was associated with significant continuous losses of BMD at the hip and spine," the authors write. "However, significant gains postdiscontinuation provide evidence that the loss of bone mass is apparently reversed."

The study was published in: Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2005;159:139-144

To read the full report visit: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/499043