The contraceptive injection

It is a shot that contains the hormone progestogen, which prevents pregnancy for between 8-13 weeks.  

Depending on the type of injection, it will go in your bottom, arm, stomach or thigh.

The injection only works on females. But this does not mean that getting one is only the female’s responsibility. Contraception is the responsibility of both partners. It is important for men to support their partner to use the contraceptive method that is right for them – it is also a way to show you care.  

From a healthcare professional, either at a sexual health clinic or your local health facility. You might also be able to get it from a community-based programme. For example, some youth-clubs work with youth-friendly nurses to provide sexual health services. 

It releases a hormone into your body that stops an egg being released (known as ovulation), and this prevents pregnancy.  

You can have a contraceptive shot as long as you're not pregnant. 

If you have the injection during the first five days of your menstrual cycle, you'll be immediately protected from pregnancy. If you have it after that, you should use condoms for seven days. 

Advantages include:  

• you will not have to think about birth control for 8-13 weeks 

• you are in control of whether you get pregnant or not 

• you can use contraceptive injections any time after giving birth if you are not breastfeeding. If you are breastfeeding, the injection can normally be used six weeks after giving birth. 

Disadvantages include: 

• you need to remember to have another injection after the time ends, or switch to another type of contraceptive, or you can get pregnant 

• it doesn’t protect you or your partner from STIs, including HIV – only condoms prevent pregnancy and STIs 

• it can affect your periods – they may become more irregular or heavier, and this can carry on for a few months even after you stop the injections. But the injection can also make your periods shorter, lighter or stop them altogether. 

• you might get side effects, such as tender breasts, mood changes and weight gain, but not everyone will. These can continue for as long as the injection lasts and possibly after  

• some medication can make contraceptive shots less effective. This includes some HIV treatment. Check with your doctor about having the contraceptive injection if you're taking any other drugs.  

Every 8-13 weeks, depending on the type of injection. 

You might consider taking emergency contraception. You should also use condoms if you continue having sex, at least until you get a new injection or swap to a different birth control method. 

Condoms are the only type of contraceptive that protect you and your partner from HIV and STIs, so it is important to use them even if you have an injection. 

If you are happy to wait for at least a year to have a baby then the injection is fine to use – once you stop using it, it shouldn’t take longer than a year for your fertility to return to normal. 

Here are a few questions to help kick-off discussions on the issues you need to talk about! You can share them on social, on WhatsApp or just get talking.

The injection contains hormones, but these are similar to the hormones the body produces naturally. Some people do experience mood swings but not everyone will.  

Some injectables can cause some people to gain weight, but not everyone will. Eating a balanced diet and taking regular exercise will help you stay a healthy weight. 

A small amount of people experience hair loss as a side effect of having a contraceptive injection, but this is not normally noticeable, and most people won’t experience this side effect at all.  

If you have an injection and experience side effects that you are worried about, talk to your healthcare professional as there are plenty of other birth control methods you can try. 

The best thing you can do is to give them clear and accurate information. You should also: 

• Respect their decisions: this means their decision to have sex and the type of birth control they choose.  

• Be open: be prepared to discuss any type of contraception. And let them know they can ask anything they want; you won’t judge them. 

• Respect their privacy: they might feel embarrassed about discussing things to do with sex. If they are, you could give them details of a friendly healthcare professional, a helpline or factual online resources, like this website.