Women’s satisfaction, use, storage and disposal of subcutaneous depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA-SC) during a randomized trial

To describe women’s experiences with subcutaneous depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA-SC) to inform scale-up of self-administered DMPA-SC. We conducted a 12-month randomized controlled trial in Malawi to measure DMPA-SC continuation rates. A total of 731 women presenting at six Ministry of Health clinics or to community health workers (CHWs) in rural communities were randomized to receive DMPA-SC administered by a provider or be trained to self-inject DMPA-SC. Data collectors contacted women after the reinjection window at 3, 6 and 9 months to collect data on satisfaction and use; self-injectors were also queried about storage and disposal of DMPA-SC. We compared frequencies of injection experiences and satisfaction by study group and over time.