Depo-provera birth control

ikissedthebottle · July 18, 2002, 5:21am

i am currently on depo-provera the birth control shot to keep me from getting periods because my cramps were AWFUL (too much info?)

i get it every three months, and i need to get it coming up in august. i will be in taiwan then, and need to know if i can get the shot here…is it available, and where do i need to go if it is?

thanks!

wolf_reinhold · July 18, 2002, 5:40am

But what happened after you kissed the bottle?

ckvw · July 19, 2002, 7:21am

I’m not sure if it’s available. When I questioned a gynecologist about birth control options for women here, he said only birth control pills and IUDs. Not even diaphragms. So depo-provera seems an unlikely option. That was a few years ago. Keep asking. Anyone else know about this?

ikissedthebottle · July 22, 2002, 7:18am

since no one has an answer really, can anyone tell me where to call or look or whatever. i really have NO idea as to where i should find out!

Mark_Nagel · July 21, 2002, 8:56pm

Why don’t you just go to a hospital and ask a gynecologist? However, it would be good to first find out the Chinese word for “depo-provera” in case the gynecologist doesn’t know the English word. Unfortunately, “depo-provera” isn’t listed in any of my dictionaries. Maybe you could go to the Leaning Chinese Forum and ask there if anyone knows the Chinese word for it.

Then once you find out the Chinese word, your next step is to find a gynecologist who can administer it.

Hartzell · July 21, 2002, 9:07pm

Here is a Chinese webpage for making an inquiry with the Department of Health in Taiwan.
http://www.doh.gov.tw/newverprog/dg/leadermail.htm

If you don’t have Chinese system, it may appear as all garbage. Anyway, the first field is for your name. The second field is for your email address. The next field is a “dot” selection, so just take the default. The following field allows you to select your age range. The next large field allows you to state your inquiry.

Then push the left button to process.

After this, you are taken to a “Thank you” page, and if you push the button you go back to the Main/Home page.

I suggest that in your inquiry you also suggest that the Dept. of Health add an English language email form on their English language page at
http://www.doh.gov.tw/english/Welcome.html

nemesis · July 21, 2002, 10:04pm

The good news (maybe) is that you can buy oral contraceptives over the counter here, so perhaps that could tide you over until you find out for sure about Depo-Provera (or longer if it’s not available). The bad news is, a lot of the brands are not very well known (though some are) and you would be taking it without a physician’s advice. If you’re going to a more “foreign” area, such as Tien Mu (forgive my crappy pinyin) you likely stand a better chance of finding it, particularly if you go to a doctor/gyno who caters to the foreign population; none of the Taiwanese girls I asked seemed to know anything about it, or even of its existance. Lots of people on this site seem to live in that area; any suggestions? Good luck, at any rate.

ikissedthebottle · July 23, 2002, 5:42am

i got a reply (i think) from the health people from the website Hartzell told me to go to. BUT i cant read it. can anyone help decode this:

+kBlmL4HqUtV1InUfdoRQs5BecsBhS5Aad+UwAg-

+kBlT6mYvTgBQC4tmVEqKCmBvMAI-

+YKhODZcAiYGRzZABYKh2hJD1TvYwAg-

+XvaQck6GVBFOC1IXZTZO9oAFdoRQs5BeMAI-

  [dohes@doh.gov.tw](mailto:dohes@doh.gov.tw)

i think its from the place cuz of that website at the bottom. haha.

thanks!

ikissedthebottle · July 24, 2002, 5:10am

so can anyone figure out what the heck my last post said??

thanks

Aussie · July 29, 2002, 8:20pm

Last time someone in this office asked our insurance company doctor (around 6 months ago) you couldn’t get it here.

answerer · July 30, 2002, 4:21am

nemisis: That’s because you’ve been asking Taiwanese “girls”, not women =)

ikissedthebottle: The text of that email is totally garbled.

depo-provera(DMPA, “depot”(in Taiwan), or 狄波(Big5)) is apparently used as treatment for menopause symptoms as well as birth control. Lots of the hospitals have info about it but don’t say whether or not they offer it(typical of Taiwanese web sites). The obgyn or family health departments of larger hospitals (NTUH[web site], Chang-gung Memorial,[web site] and Women and Children’s Hospital[web site]) should have it.

Good luck!

scb222 · February 25, 2003, 4:09am

i alos use the depo 3 mth shot. and have found when i am desperate and cant get it i use a regular pill (tablet) but just skip the sugar ones and continue on the other ones. it dos the same thing and stops your period from coming. it’s the sugar ones that allow you have your period. finding the right brand of pill that is strong enough may take a month’s trial though.

tigerlily · August 20, 2008, 6:34am

So, I’m posting this many years down the line after the original post went up, but maybe people want some updated info. I moved to taipei in 2005 and there was no depo provera available for purchase in taiwan. I was going to bangkok often enough during those years that i’d stock up on depo there and just bring it with me back to taipei. I used to go to a gyno clinic on Heping E rd next to Shida University and the doctor there used to have his nurses inject it into me every 3 months. They all were familiar with the product and were fine with injecting me with it. They never had any idea if depo would eventually be available in taiwan. So, BYO depo for now, I guess!!!