[Contraception and bone health in adolescence].

Adolescents' access to contraception has improved and indication for their use have been extended beyond pregnancy prevention. For adolescents, this implies the use of hormonal contraception before the accrual of peak bone mass. Sexual hormones, notably estrogens, play a major role in skeletal development, growth and acquisition of maximal bone mass density (BMD). This article will review different contraceptive methods and their impact on BMD, with particular attention to low-dose pills and medroxyprogesterone acetate, both of which seem to alter peak bone mass acquisition. Nevertheless, benefits from appropriate contraception should be weighed against safety concerns, and recommended on an individual basis.