[An introductory clinical trial of three-monthly injectable contraceptive-depot medroxyprogesterone acetate]

To evaluate contraceptive efficacy, continuative rate of use, side effects and acceptability of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) injectable contraception preparation in Chinese women.

This was an open study. One thousand nine hundred and eighty-five women acquiring contraception received DMPA injection after obtaining informed consent and were followed-up every 3-month up to one year.

The total experience accumulated was 1,731.7 women-year with DMPA for 1,985 users. The one year continuation rate was 77.4%. Three subjects became pregnant, the one year accumulative life table failure rate was 0.2%. The accumulative discontinuation rates at one year for other reasons were amenorrhoea (4.8%), bleeding related (13.4%), other medical reasons (2.6%), other personal reasons (2.1%) and lost to follow-up (1.6%). The main complaints were irregular bleeding, amenorrhoea and prolonged bleeding. Lactating women had significantly lower rate of complaint.

DMPA is a highly effective long-acting contraceptive, it could have good acceptability, especially for lactating women, under the well consultation.