Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate: implications for weight status and bone mineral density in the adolescent female.

Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) is an effective and easy-to-use contraceptive method for adolescents. However, recent literature suggests that overweight teens may be at increased risk for weight gain while on this contraceptive method, and decreases in bone mineral density have been documented in adolescents on DMPA, particularly with longer duration of use. Consideration of this new literature on DMPA and its implications for clinical practice must be done in the context of the United States having the highest adolescent pregnancy rate in the industrialized world. Hence, potential DMPA risks need to be weighed against the risk of unintended pregnancy in an adolescent.