Birth Control

At-home shot (Depo-subQ Provera)

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What is the at-home birth control shot (Depo-subQ Provera)? The at-home birth control shot might be for you if... How do you use the at-home birth control shot? How much does the at-home birth control shot cost? What are the side effects and benefits of the at-home birth control shot? Where can you get the at-home birth control shot?

What is the at-home birth control shot (Depo-subQ Provera)?

Depo-subQ Provera is a version of the birth control shot that you inject at home or in another safe space. That means you don’t have to go see a health care provider every three months to get the shot. With the at-home birth control shot, you use a small needle to inject the medication into the fat on your belly or thigh every 13 to 15 weeks. (Fun fact: subQ is short for subcutaneous, which means “under the skin.”)

Both types of birth control shots contain progestin, which is the synthetic version of progesterone, a hormone made by the body. The shot prevents pregnancy by stopping ovulation from happening, which means that the ovaries don’t release an egg.

Just like the in-office birth control shot, the at-home birth control shot prevents pregnancy for three months at a time. You can get the in-office version of the shot in a doctor’s office or health center if the at-home version doesn’t sound right for you.

Quick Facts

Very effective if you use it correctly. Lasts for months, is private, and is a good hormonal option for those who can't take estrogen. Doing your shot at home is required.

Effectiveness

The at-home birth control shot is very effective the way most people use it.

Perfect use: Over 99% effective

Typical use: 96% effective

What are perfect use and typical use?
Hormones

The at-home shot contains the hormone progestin.
Side effects

Irregular bleeding, changes to appetite, and weight gain are the most common side effects.
Cost

Could range from $0 (with insurance) to $200 every three months.
STI protection

The at-home shot doesn’t protect against STIs.
Ongoing effort

You have to do a shot at home every 12 to 13 weeks.

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The at-home birth control shot might be for you if...

Effectiveness at preventing pregnancy is a top priority for you.

Depo-subQ Provera is over 99% effective at preventing pregnancy when used perfectly (exactly as directed). That means fewer than one out of every 100 people using the at-home shot perfectly for a year will get pregnant.

However, the effectiveness of the at-home shot with perfect use is based on the experiences of people involved in clinical trials who are getting the shot on time, every single time, for an entire year. The effectiveness of the shot with typical use, which means the way real people use it in real life, is going to be more relevant for most people. When the at-home shot is used as people typically use it, it’s 96% effective at preventing pregnancy. That means that on average, four out of every 100 people using the at-home birth control shot for a year will get pregnant.

You just had a baby.

If you’ve recently given birth and want to be on birth control, your provider may prescribe the at-home birth control shot. That’s because it doesn’t contribute to blood clots, which you are at increased risk of after giving birth. Also, if you’re providing human milk through breastfeeding, chestfeeding, or expressing milk, both kinds of birth control shot have a lower risk of decreasing milk supply than methods that contain estrogen. However, there is a chance that the shot could decrease your milk supply—speak to your provider about changing methods if it does.

You can’t use birth control methods with estrogen.

The at-home birth control shot may be a good option for people who can’t use estrogen because the only hormone it contains is progestin. Some people experience side effects they can’t tolerate on birth control methods that contain estrogen (like the combination birth control pill), and others may not be able to take estrogen because they’re already at high risk for blood clots, they have breast cancer or another estrogen-sensitive cancer, they have just given birth, they have migraine with aura, or for other reasons.

You want to put in relatively little effort for your birth control to work.

The shot may be a good option if you have a hard time with taking a pill every day. There’s nothing you need to do every day or even every month to make the shot work. You only need to remember to do something once every three months—that’s four times a year.

You want a method that you don’t have to interrupt sex to use.

The shot works for three months every time you get a dose. There’s nothing you need to do besides get the shot on time, every time, in order for it to work. That means you don’t have to interrupt sex to apply spermicide and put in a diaphragm, for example (unless you want STI protection, and then you’ll need to use a condom or internal condom every time you have sex).

You don’t mind changes to your period (or not getting one anymore).

When you are using the at-home birth control shot, you won’t have a regular period or a withdrawal bleed (the period-like bleeding you get when you’re on birth control methods that contain both estrogen and progestin). With the birth control shot, it’s normal to have bleeding or spotting that comes and goes or to have no bleeding at all. It’s totally safe and doesn’t mean you’re pregnant.

You’re comfortable with needles.

If you have a severe fear of needles that causes you to faint or be very upset when you have to get an injection or when you’re around needles, the at-home birth control shot is probably not for you.

You aren’t looking for STI protection, or you’re okay with combining Depo-subQ Provera with another method.

Neither the in-office birth control shot nor the at-home birth control shot offers any STI protection. So if that’s something you’re looking for, you can use condoms or internal condoms along with the at-home birth control shot. Dental dams and/or gloves can also offer STI protection, depending on what kind of sex you’re having. You may also want to consider PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), which is a daily pill or an injection you can get every two months to decrease your risk of getting HIV.

You’re not planning to get pregnant within the next year.

The shot is NOT permanent birth control. The only birth control method that permanently affects your fertility is sterilization.

It is possible to get pregnant as soon as 15 weeks following your last injection, though for some people who use the shot, it can take up to a year after your last injection for your chances of getting pregnant to go back to what’s normal for you. So if you want to prevent pregnancy only in the very short term and would like to get pregnant as soon as you stop birth control, the shot is probably not the best choice for you.

You want a method that you can stop without help from a provider.

You can stop using the shot at any time without having to see a provider—all you have to do to stop Depo-subQ Provera is not give yourself your next shot. Just keep in mind that it’s possible you will quickly return to whatever level of fertility was normal for you before being on the shot. That means you may be able to get pregnant soon after stopping the shot.

You don’t need to hide your method.

Unlike with the in-office birth control shot, it is not easy to keep the at-home birth control shot private from people you live with. You will need to get refills, which will come with several parts, including the medication, the syringe, and the needle, and it may not be easy to hide those things.

You don’t have these risk factors.

Most people can use Depo-subQ Provera safely. However if you currently have breast cancer, the shot is not a good option for you.

How do you use the at-home birth control shot?

First, you’ll need a prescription from a health care provider, which you can either get in person or online through telehealth. Then you’ll pick up your supplies at the pharmacy.

Your pharmacist might not know they can dispense Depo-subQ Provera directly to you, but they absolutely can. You may need to get your provider on the phone with them if there’s any issue. You will also want to buy a sharps container from the pharmacy or a medical supply company so you can properly dispose of the needles after you use them.

Your provider will give you detailed instructions for how to inject Depo-subQ Provera, and directions will come with the medication, but generally the steps are as follows:

Wash your hands with soap and water. Dry your hands.
Pick a spot on your belly or upper thigh. You’ll want to rotate injection sites so you’re not using the same spot over and over.
Sanitize the area with an alcohol swab.
Attach the needle and syringe to each other.
Shake the contents of the syringe to mix it up for 1 minute.
Take the cap off the needle and hold it in your dominant hand.
With your non-dominant hand (this is your left hand if you are right-handed), grasp the fat in the area you’ve chosen on your belly or upper thigh and insert the needle into it at a 45-degree angle. The needle itself should be completely or almost completely inside your body.
Press the plunger all the way down slowly. It should take five to seven seconds to inject all of the medication.
Remove the needle and safely throw it away in a sharps container.
Apply gentle pressure to the spot with clean gauze, but don’t rub the area of the injection.

For the shot to be effective in preventing pregnancy, you need to remember to inject yourself on time, every 13 to 15 weeks. If it’s been more than 15 weeks since your last injection, you may need to take a pregnancy test before giving yourself the shot, and you’ll need a backup method of birth control, like condoms, until your next shot. Check in with a provider to find out next steps.

How much does the at-home birth control shot cost?

With insurance

If you have health insurance—whether it’s from work, school, your parents, or Medicaid—chances are good that you’ll be able to get this method with no out-of-pocket cost.

Without insurance

If you don’t have insurance or if you’re on a plan that doesn’t cover birth control, the shot can cost up to $200. If you want to get an exam from your provider before you start using the shot, the exam may cost extra.

What are the side effects and benefits of the at-home birth control shot?

Every method of contraception has positives and negatives. And everyone’s different, so what you experience may not be the same as what someone else experiences.

The Positive

There are lots of things about birth control that are good for your body as well as your sex life. Here are some of the benefits of the at-home birth control shot:

Easy to use
Doesn’t interrupt the heat of the moment
You don’t have to worry about remembering to take it every day
Might give you shorter, lighter periods, or no periods at all
Your birth control is taken care of for three months at a time
Can be used by people who can’t take estrogen
Very effective at preventing pregnancy if you give yourself the shots on time
Safe to use while you’re breastfeeding

The Negative

It’s normal to worry about negative side effects, but for many people, they’re not a problem. Most people adjust to the shot pretty quickly, but it could take a few months.

The most common side effects include:

Irregular bleeding, especially for the first 6-12 months. This could mean longer, heavier periods, or spotting in between periods.
Change in appetite or weight gain. It’s common for some shot users to gain around five pounds in the first year, while others gain nothing.

Less common side effects include:

A change in your sex drive.
Depression.
Hair loss.
More hair on your face or body.
Nervousness or dizziness.
Headache.
Nausea.
Sore breasts.

Once you’ve gotten a dose of the shot, there’s no way to undo it. So for the next three months, you will have to deal with whatever side effects may come up for you. But many people find that side effects go away over time even if they keep using the shot. If you don’t like the side effects you are having with the shot, it’s totally okay to switch methods.

In addition to potential side effects, there are some disadvantages to using the shot:

Doesn’t provide STI protection
Can take some time to learn how to inject it at home

Where can you get the at-home birth control shot?

You need a prescription from a health care provider to get started on Depo-subQ Provera and you can get one in person or online. Then, you’ll get your supplies at a local pharmacy or have them mailed to you.