A single dose of DMPA injectable contraceptive is effective for up to how many days?

Appeared in: NORCERT 8 Mains-2025

Explanation

Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (DMPA) is a long-acting, progestin-only injectable contraceptive.
The standard 150 mg intramuscular dose provides effective contraception for 3 months.
Three months is approximately equal to 90 days, making this the correct duration of effectiveness.

Option A: 39 days is an incorrect and arbitrary duration. It does not correspond to the standard effectiveness period of any common injectable contraceptive.
Option C: 60 days (2 months) is the duration of effectiveness for a different injectable contraceptive, Norethisterone Enanthate (NET-EN), not DMPA.
Option D: 15 days is far too short for a long-acting depot contraceptive like DMPA. This duration might be more relevant for daily or weekly contraceptive methods, not a 3-month injection.

Visual 1: Infographic: A comparative chart showing the key differences between DMPA and NET-EN, including drug name, dose, duration of action, and administration schedule.
Visual 2: Diagram: An anatomical illustration showing the correct sites for deep intramuscular injection (dorsogluteal, ventrogluteal, and deltoid muscles) with proper landmarking technique.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Pharmacology and duration of action of injectable contraceptives helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Accurate knowledge of contraceptive durations is critical for patient counseling and scheduling to prevent unintended pregnancies. Mixing up DMPA (3 months) and NET-EN (2 months) is a common error with significant consequences.
The nursing instruction 'Do not massage the injection site' is a crucial patient safety point. Massaging a depot injection can lead to rapid absorption, sub-therapeutic hormone levels, and contraceptive failure.
What if a patient returns for their DMPA injection 16 weeks after their last dose (2 weeks late)? The nurse should advise the patient to use a backup contraceptive method (like condoms), consider the need for a pregnancy test before administering the next dose, and counsel on the importance of timely follow-up.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the specific drug mentioned in the question: 'DMPA'.
This is a factual recall question. Access your knowledge base about common hormonal contraceptives.
Recall the standard duration of effectiveness for DMPA. The standard is 3 months.
Convert the duration from months to days to match the options provided (3 months ≈ 90 days).
Evaluate the other options to identify potential distractors. Recognize that '60 days' is the duration for another injectable, NET-EN, a common distractor.
Select the option that correctly matches the duration for DMPA.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Pharmacology and duration of action of injectable contraceptives.
Stem keywords: DMPA, injectable contraceptive, single dose, effective
Lead-in keywords: how many days

QUEMR76o9fwAI7dkCbZ8DD

Practise the full NORCERT 8 Mains-2025

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.