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Contraception - Background information
How do progestogen-only injectables prevent pregnancy?
- Both progestogen-only injectables (depot medroxyprogesterone acetate injection and norethisterone enantate injection) prevent pregnancy by the inhibition of ovulation and thickening of the cervical mucus, thereby presenting a barrier for sperm penetration.
- In addition, changes to the endometrium make it an unfavourable environment for implantation.
- The formulations of the progestogen-only injectables slowly release the active components and provide effective therapeutic levels for an extended period: 12 weeks for depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, and 8 weeks for norethisterone enanthate.
[National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health, 2005]
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