Hormone in Birth Control Shot Linked to Memory Loss

The hormone active in the birth control shot Depo Provera and many widely used menopausal hormone therapies, to impaired memory in rodents. The lab first linked MPA to memory loss in rats while studying it as a component of hormone therapy for menopause. This earlier study showed that MPA impaired memory in menopausal-aged rats.The current study specifically looks at the drug in relation to the birth control shot.Bimonte-Nelson said she and Braden began asking questions about the effects of the drug because Braden was concerned about friends taking MPA as a contraceptive."Does it have the same memory-impairing effects if someone takes it as birth control, when they are a younger age?" asks Braden."This is an important question, because what we are going to have in our future are women who are menopausal that also have a history of taking MPA as birth control when they were younger," adds Bimonte-Nelson It requires an injection every 12 weeks. Less than one percent of women get pregnant when using the birth control shot, according to Planned Parenthood. Its effectiveness and the infrequency of doses can make the shot an attractive alternative for women seeking to avoid pregnancy. While other studies have examined Depo Provera's effects on bone density. I found this article extremely interesting and frightening because I, myself have friends who are on this shot and am now going to tell them of the dangers of it, in the long run what if it could be harmful to life? threateninghttp://www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine/birth_control/