comparison of two different injectable contraceptive methods: depo-medroxy progesterone acetate (dmpa) and cyclofem.

objective: to compare side effects between users of two kinds of injectable contraceptives (depo-medroxy progesterone acetate and cyclofem). materials and methods: this cross-sectional descriptive study included 250 women, aged 18-40 years, using depo-medroxy progesterone acetate (dmpa) or cyclofem. the volunteers were examined six months after using contraceptive, and they were asked about following symptoms: weight changes, irregular bleeding, dysparounia, vaginal dryness, headache, breast pain, bone pain, and discontinuation reason. the data were analyzed by statistical methods. results: the important side effects of dmpa were: irregular bleeding (93.60%), weight gain (48%), bone pain (24%) and vaginal dryness (10.40%), while the side effects in the cyclofem group were: irregular bleeding (65.60%), headache (14.4%) and breast sensitivity (20%). bleeding pattern changes were the most important problem leading to discontinuation of both contraceptive methods in our participants. conclusion: the results of the study showed that the most important problem in both groups was change in bleeding pattern. proper consulting by a trained expert reduces the high amount of discontinuation and their failure rates.