Depo Shot

[55]

Hi,
I’ve booked in to get the depo shot/ injection soon. My doctor said you can get the shot at any time in your menstrual cycle. But I’m reading online you’re meant to get it done during the first 5 days of your period? If I get the shot midway through my cycle, how does the shot stop me from ovulating? Like if I ovulate just before I get the shot, then what?
Thanks

[Sam W]

Hi Holly55,

While it's recommended that you get the shot within seven days after the start of your period (most of what I'm seeing says seven days), you can start it at any point in your cycle and still be protected. If you go with that second option, your healthcare provider may request you take a pregnancy test just to confirm you're not pregnant, and you may need to back-up with condoms for longer than you would if you get the shot in that seven day window.

Too, suppressing ovulation is only one of the ways the shot prevents pregnancy; it also thickens cervical mucus, impairing sperm mobility so it's tougher for them to reach an egg in the uterus.

[55]

Thanks Sam! Do you know if the level of protection is still the same if it’s done mid-cycle? And if it will still prevent ovulation? It’s quite difficult to book an appointment in advance with unpredictable period! Thanks

[Sam W]

You're welcome! So, if it's given outside of that recommended window, it will take a little longer to reach it's full effectiveness, and you'll want to be extra sure you use condoms for at least a week after getting it. Depending on where in your cycle you get it, it may not prevent ovulation that month, but it will every cycle after that one. Since you know your cycle is unpredictable, I would talk with your healthcare provider about how best to proceed with scheduling.

[55]

Thanks! So does that mean if I had already ovulated the month I got the shot then it would stop ovulation the month after? And that basically it's the same level of protection whether I get the shot during my period vs mid-cycle (although would of course just need to use extra back up for 7 days if mid-cycle)?

[Heather]

Yep, that is what would happen. And per the second question, pretty much! Again, I'd defer to the provider you see for the shot about the timing.

[55]

Thanks Heather. I spoke to my nurse yesterday and she said it’s fine to get it anytime as long as I give it 7 days to work, so that’s fine. Sorry if I’m getting too much into the details, but my only point of confusion is that depo can completely stop periods. So if I have already ovulated when I get the shot and then depo stops my period, what would happen to the unfertilised egg? Like how much it be expelled if I don’t have a period? Thanks!

[Elise]

Hi Holly55, your healthcare provider will be able to provide more of the medical information on this, but essentially you might find you get a very light discharge/spotting/one final period depending on exactly where in your cycle the shot was administered and therefore how much uterine lining built up etc. before the shot was given. The ovum (egg) would be passed, but it is super super tiny (.1mm) so you won't be able to see it in a period or in regular vaginal discharge.

Most of your period is the uterine lining, the stuff that would become the placenta if someone becomes pregnant, and the body builds up each cycle and discharges in a period if an egg is not fertilised. You might find this in depth guide about how menstruation works interesting to read: On the Rag: A Guide to Menstruation.