The long-acting injected contraceptive Depo-Provera, popular among adolescent women, produces a significant drop in bone mineral density -- but it seems to rebound once the drug is stopped, new research shows. “These findings are reassuring for those concerned about future risk of fractures,” the study’s lead author, Dr. Delia Scholes, from the Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, said in a statement. “This information can be useful in helping young women balance the need to avoid unintended pregnancies with the need to build strong bones.” The findings, which appear in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent, are based on a study of 80 teenagers who used Depo-Provera (also known as depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, or DMPA) and a comparison group of 90 young women who did not use the contraceptive.
