Bone Health · Bone Mineral Density

Progestogen-only contraception and bone mineral density: a systematic review

Curtis KM, Martins SL

Published February 20, 2006 Contraception, 73(5), 470-487
DOI 10.1016/j.contraception.2005.12.010 PMID 16627031

Abstract

Questions have been raised about the effects of progestogen-only contraceptive use on bone health, particularly among young women who have not yet reached peak bone mass and perimenopausal women who may be starting to lose bone mass. We conducted a systematic review that evaluated the association between progestogen-only contraceptive use and fracture risk or bone mineral density (BMD). We identified 39 articles from MEDLINE and EMBASE, published through July 2005. One study reported that depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) users were more likely to experience stress fractures than nonusers; this association was not statistically significant after controlling for baseline bone density. In cross-sectional studies, the mean BMD in DMPA users was usually below that of nonusers, but within 1 SD. In longitudinal studies, BMD generally decreased more over time among DMPA users than among nonusers, but women gained BMD upon discontinuation of DMPA. Limited evidence suggested that use of progestogen-only contraceptives other than DMPA did not affect BMD.

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Bone Health › Bone Mineral Density › Peak Bone Mass · Contraception › Adverse Effects › Bone Density Effects · Therapeutics › Hormonal Agents › Progesterone and Progestins
Kathryn M Curtis, Summer L Martins
Kathy Curtis, Kate Curtis, K Curtis, S Martins
PMID 16627031 16627031 DOI 10.1016/j.contraception.2005.12.010 10.1016/j.contraception.2005.12.010 Curtis et al. 2006, Curtis 2006

Cite this article

Curtis, K. M., & Martins, S. L. (2006). Progestogen-only contraception and bone mineral density: a systematic review. Contraception, 73(5), 470-487. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.contraception.2005.12.010