Do Certain Postpartum Contraceptives Cause Depression?

In many settings, depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) is commonly offered postpartum for contraception. To evaluate the effects of DMPA on risk for postpartum depression, South African researchers randomized 242 women (87% of whom had previously used DMPA) to receive DMPA or a copper intrauterine device within 48 hours of delivery. At 1 and 3 months postpartum, participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS).

At 1 month postpartum, median EPDS scores — but not BDI-II scores — were significantly higher among women who received DMPA. At 3 months postpartum, median BDI-II scores — but not EPDS scores — were significantly higher among women who received DMPA. At 1 and 3 month…