Depo-Provera use in teens tied to bone density drop.(Reduction Of 6.8% After 2 Years)

PHILADELPHIA -- Two years of contraception with injectable medroxyprogesterone acetate in adolescent girls was associated with an average 6.8% reduction in bone mineral density, compared with controls in an observational study of 148 teens.

"A 6.8% reduction is clinically significant," Dr. Eduardo Lara-Torre said at the annual meeting of the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. "The most important question now is if treatment stops, does bone density normalize?" said Dr. Lara-Torre, a pediatric and adolescent gynecologist at the University of Louisville (Ky).

By itself, this finding should not prompt a change in the use of injectable medroxyprogesterone acetate (Depo-Provera) in adolescent girls, he told this newspaper. Further studies must assess whether the reduction in bone density associated with the drug's use is reversible, or if the effect can be blunted by treatments that increase bone mineral density (BMD), such as calcium supplements or drug interventions.

The study included girls in a pregnancy prevention clinic at the university. Each participant selected the contraceptive method she preferred: 58 girls selected injectable medroxyprogesterone acetate, 71 opted for an oral contraceptive pill, and ...