Depo-ProveraŽ and gingivitis among United States women

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this analysis was to determine if a progestin-only contraceptive, Depo Provera, was associated with an increased prevalence of gingivitis. METHODS: Data for this cross-sectional study came from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, a representative sample of the United States population. This analysis includes data from 5,531 U.S. women ages 15-44 years of age. Women were classified as ever or never Depo Provera users. RESULTS: The prevalence of Depo Provera use was 14.4%. The prevalence of gingivitis was 53.7% for women who indicated having used Depo Provera as compared to 46.3% for never Depo Provera users. Women taking Depo Provera were more likely to be young, single, non-white, have a history of smoking, have lower levels of education and income, have 1 or more live births and be less likely to visit the dentist. Using multivariable logistic regression, Depo Provera use was associated with an increased risk of gingivitis (OR=1.4; 95% CI: 1.10 to 1.61). Non-white race and having a dental visit within the last two years were also significantly associated with the odds of gingivitis after adjusting for age, education, poverty income ratio, parity and smoking status. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that Depo Provera use may be associated with gingivitis. The majority of Depo Provera users are non-white women of low socio- economic status who are already at an increased risk for gingivitis. Therefore, prospective studies are needed to evaluate whether an association exists between Depo Provera and periodontal diseases.