I am looking to either find a complete copy of this abstract of this
medical article or the author's contact info. ANY HELP or guidance
appreciated. - April
Int Health News. 1988 Feb;9(2):2-3, 8. Related Articles, Links
Depo Provera: still controversial.
Wren LM.
PIP: The use of depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), or Depo
Provera, has been debated for the 20 years since it became available
in 1967. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refused to approve
Depo Provera on the basis that it caused breast tumors in a controlled
study of Beagle dogs and Rhesus monkeys conducted by Upjohn, the
manufacturer. Depo Provera has been approved in over 60 other
countries and is in use in 30 or 40 others with an estimated total of
almost 5 million users. A natural hormone, progesterone, DMPA is
injected intramuscularly and absorbed slowly. Common dosage is 150 mg
every 3 months and usually is administered during the 1st week of the
menstrual cycle. The pregnancy rate with Depo Provera is .44
pregnancies/100 women years for women receiving 100 mg every 3 months.
No pregnancies were recorded in recent studies for women receiving 150
mg. Possible side effects include amenorrhea, weight gain, dizziness
and headaches. The median time for contraception after the presumed
duration of one's last injection is 5-1/2 months. Some countries only
permit women who already have 1 child to use Depo Provera. The FDA in
the US approves the use of Depo Provera for treatment of endometrial
and renal cancer but accuses it of causing cancer in Beagles and
Rhesus monkeys. The studies were conducted over 7 and 10-year periods,
respectively, with extremely negative results including the death of 3
dogs due to "drug-induced diabetes," atrophication of adrenal glands,
and malignant tumors. There were similar results for the monkey study.
In the UK, the Committee for Safety in Medicine supports Upjohn's view
that Beagles are unsuitable for comparison testing because "all dogs
are acutely sensitive to progesterone." Groups such as the National
Women's Health Network, the institute for Food and Development Policy,
and "Mother Jones" have used the media to generate opposition to Depo
Provera, citing a double standard for rich and poor women, developed
and less developed countries. The proponents of Depo Provera criticize
health activists for imposing their own standards on women in
developing countries. Regarding concerns about greater risk of
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Depo Provera can be
injected with disposable needles. In response to the controversy,
Upjohn withdrew its application to the FDA in September 1986 but
intends to resubmit with new information from a World Health
Organization report, which showed no evidence of an increased risk of
cancers of the endometrium, liver, or breast.
PMID: 12179873 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] |
