Question:
I took depo after my son was born 2009 and stopped after I heard about the side effects in 2011. Till now I tired to conceive again but just… please help me I’m 34 years old and I’m from Papua New Guinea.
Answer:
Thank you for reaching out!
I will write my thoughts in a way that is also helpful to others.
You write that you used Depo for two years, and perhaps you’re asking whether this is a factor in your trouble conceiving now.
It is true that when Depo is stopped there may be a delay in conceiving, but that is thought to be at the longest, around ten months. If you stopped Depo in 2011, that would not be the reason for your difficulty getting pregnant now. If I’m reading this correctly then you have been trying to conceive for more than ten years?
There are many factors to consider with difficulty conceiving:
Are your periods regular? If you haven’t been recording the start and stop day in a diary, it is a good idea to start doing so.
Do you have any premenstrual symptoms such as breast tenderness before your periods? This is a low-cost way of knowing you are probably ovulating.
Are you with the same partner you’ve been with, trying to conceive all of this time? Men play a role in infertility. According to the National Institutes of Health, “…one-third of infertility cases are caused by male reproductive issues, one-third by female reproductive issues, and one-third by both male and female reproductive issues or by unknown factors…â€
You had a son born in 2009, so you were able to conceive then. Did anything happen at the time of birth? Rarely a traumatic birth can cause long-term problems (Sheehan and Asherman syndromes are examples).
Is your partner the same? If so, then he had the ability to conceive in the past which is valuable information. If not, that is important to know.
In general, a medical evaluation for infertility should occur after one year of trying to conceive for women under age 35, and at 6 months for women over age 35. When you visit a doctor for this issue, they will start with hormonal blood tests, and will want to test your partners sperm.
I have heard stories of women who have had an IUD placed in the past without them knowing it, which turns out to be the cause of their infertility. It would certainly be worth a visit to the doctor to ensure this is not the case.
Please let me know if you have additional questions,
– Dr. Z
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