Use of long-acting depot progestogen in domililiary family planning

Medroxyprogesterone acetate injections have been used as a long-term contraceptive by the domiciliary family planning service in Glasgow. The injections were particularly useful in women with a high risk of becoming pregnant and in whom oral or intrauterine contraception had failed or was unacceptable. The optimum dose was 200 mg every 15-16 weeks. It was accepted by an increasing proportion of women, only 12 out of 162 discontinuing because of side effects. Continuation rates compared favourably with those for the pill, but less well than those for intrauterine contraceptive devices. The theoretical hazards should be weighed against the positive good resulting from controlled fertility in domiciliary patients.