Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2009 Aug;80(2):128-32.
doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2009.02.001. Epub 2009 Mar 19.

Bone mineral density in young women aged 19-24 after 4-5 years of exclusive and mixed use of hormonal contraception

Mags E Beksinska  1 , Immo Kleinschmidt, Jenni A Smit, Timothy M M Farley, Helen V Rees
Affiliations

Bone mineral density in young women aged 19-24 after 4-5 years of exclusive and mixed use of hormonal contraception

Mags E Beksinska et al. Contraception. 2009 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Use of depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), norethisterone enanthate (NET-EN) and low-dose combined oral contraceptives (COCs) has been associated with loss of bone mineral density (BMD) in adolescents. However, the effect of using a combination of these methods over time in this age group is limited. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate BMD in young women (aged 19-24 years) with a history of mixed hormonal contraceptive use.

Study design: BMD was measured at the spine, hip and femoral neck using dual X-ray absorptiometry. Women were classified into three groups: (1) injectable users (DMPA, NET-EN or both) (n=40), (2) mixed COC and injectable users (n=13) and (3) non-user control (n=41).

Results: Women in the injectables-only user group were found to have lower BMDs compared to the non-user group at all three sites, and there was evidence of a difference in BMD between these two groups at the spine after adjusting for body mass index (p=.042), hip (p=.025) and femoral neck (p=.023). The mixed COC/injectable user group BMD values were lower than those for controls; however, there was no evidence of a significant difference between this group and the non-user group at any of the three sites.

Conclusion: This study suggests that BMD is lower in long-term injectable users but not when women have mixed injectable and COC use.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
Participant Contraceptive history by study analysis group
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Petitti DB, Piaggio G, Mehta S, Cravioto MC, Meirik O. Steroid hormone contraception and bone mineral density: a cross-sectional study in an international population. J Obstet Gynaecol. 2000;95:736–743. - PubMed
    1. Scholes D, Lacroix AZ, Ott SM, Ichikawa LE, Barlow WE. Bone mineral density in women using depot medroxyprogesterone acetate for contraception. J Obstet Gynaecol. 1999;93:233–238. - PubMed
    1. Wanichsetakul P, Kamudhamas A, Watanaruagkovit P, Siripakam Y, Visutakul P. Bone mineral density at various anatomic bone sites in women receiving combined oral contraceptives and depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate for contraception. Contraception. 2002;65:407–410. - PubMed
    1. Curtis KM, Martins SL. Progestogen-only contraception and bone mineral density. Contraception. 2006;73:470–487. - PubMed
    1. Cundy T, Evans M, Roberts H, Waltie D, Ames R, Reid IR. Bone density in women receiving depot medroxyprogesterone acetate for contraception. BMJ. 1991;303:13–16. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms