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My boyfriend says that I shouldn’t get the depo shot because it’s dangerous, has a lot of side affects, weakens your immune system and has killed some girls. Is this true?

No. Depo-Provera, the most common brand name for the birth control shot, is a safe, effective, and convenient way to prevent pregnancy. To use it, a woman gets an injection once every 12 weeks. In addition to providing very effective, long-lasting pregnancy protection, the shot can also help prevent uterine cancer.

As with all medications, use of the shot has possible side effects. These include headache and irregular bleeding, and usually for only the first two or three months, nausea or sore breasts. The shot also causes temporary bone-thinning that does not usually pose a health risk, but talking about it with your clinician is important. Serious health problems for users of the shot are rare. They increase for women over 35 and women who smoke and/or have diabetes, high blood pressure or cholesterol, or a history of stroke or heart disease. Learn more about the birth control shot.

Tags: birth control, the shot, Depo-Provera

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