Self-administration of injectable contraception, 2022 update

Overview

Use of modern contraceptives in 2017 prevented an estimated 308 million unintended pregnancies. Meeting people’s need for modern methods of contraception would avert an additional 67 million unintended pregnancies, annually.

Evidence found significantly higher rates of contraceptive continuation with self-administration as compared with administration by a health worker.

WHO recommends that self-administered injectable contraception (depot medroxyprogesterone acetate in its subcutaneous form – DMPA SC) should be made available as an additional approach to deliver injectable contraception for individuals of reproductive age.