By Mary Karugaba

Women should be encouraged to use other methods of family planning than Depo Provera, due to its terrible side-effects, MPs have said.

Sharing their experiences, the female legislators said the method causes delay in conception and excessive bleeding during menstruation.

The women also said they had their menstrual cycle altered after using the contraceptive.

Sarah Mwebaza, the Samia Bugwe North MP, said she failed to conceive for seven years, a matter that brought conflict in her home.

“After my first-born, I decided to use Depo Provera. I had planned to have the next baby after three years. But it took me seven years to conceive again. My husband was very angry and wondered whether I had only one egg,” she said.

She narrated that a woman in her constituency used it and failed to conceive. “When she did after eight years, she developed pressure. Unfortunately, she died.”

Depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (Depo Provera) is one of nine methods of family planning used by women all over the world. About 30 million women in over 100 countries have used it. It’s a contraceptive injected every three months into the woman’s arm or buttocks.

MPs and officials of Family Health International were discussing ways to improve access to family planning through community-based access to Depo Provera.

Beatrice Anywar said her menstrual cycle was altered after taking the drug.

“After listening to these side-effects, should we support the idea of encouraging our daughters to use such methods?” she asked as other MPs chorused ‘No’.

The chairperson of African Women Ministers and Parliamentarians Network, Sarah Nyombi, said women should be told about the side-effects of the drug.

Dr. Angela Akol of Family Health International argued that the drug was effective and safe though it had side-effects just like any other.

“Even Panadol has side-effects. Women need to be told what to do in case they experience them,” she said.

Akol called on the legislators to prevail over the Ministry of Health to allow community health workers administer the drug to rural women.

She said only 24% of sexually active women use family planning. A total of 44% want family planning services but cannot access them. As a result, there is a high rate of unwanted pregnancies.