Health-related quality of life changes among users of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate for contraception

Background: Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) may have other noncontraceptive effects that could impact on the quality of life. The objective of this study was to assess the health-related quality of life changes associated with the use of DMPA for contraception. Study Design: A prospective, observational study using the Short Form-36 quality of life questionnaire. Results: After 6 months of use, the participants had an improved physical summary score, mean change [5.64 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.87-9.4), p=.054]. There was no significant change in sexual function [5.33 (95% CI, -2.15 to 12.81), p=.0858] and mental summary score [-0.51 (95% CI, -1.90 to 2.92), p=.432]. The main side effect of DMPA was menstrual irregularity (32.5%); 17.2% of the participants found amenorrhea desirable. Conclusion: Besides its contraceptive efficacy, DMPA is associated with an improvement in perceived physical health with no apparent adverse effect on mental health and sexual function.