The effect of past use of injectable contraceptive on bone mineral density in malaysian postmenopausal women

Background: It is known that bone mineral density (BMD) reduction can occur in women using injectable birth control methods. There is a dearth of data on the effect(s) on subsequent BMD of norethisterone enanthate (NET-EN), the two monthly injectable which is marketed as Unidepo in Malaysia. The objective of this study was to determine the bone status in postmenopausal women who used NET-EN for contraception in their reproductive years. Methodology: In a cross-sectional study, BMD in former users of Unidepo was compared with non-users. Quantitative ultrasounds were used to measure the calcaneal bone mass. Results: From a total of the 201 postmenopausal women, 133 individuals were former Unidepo users and 68 women were non-users. A significant difference was found in the BMD of Unidepo users who had used it after the age of 40 and non-users. Conclusion: The results suggest that bone loss in women who used Unidepo after age 40 and for a very long time is not completely reversible.