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The Shot

The shot is just what it sounds like—a shot that keeps you from getting pregnant. Once you get it, your birth control is covered for three full months—there’s nothing else you have to do. Some people call the shot “Depo,” short for Depo-Provera. (Pronounced like Johnny Depp-oh.) The shot contains progestin, a hormone that prevents your ovaries from releasing eggs. It also thickens your cervical mucous, which helps block sperm from getting to the egg in the first place. Some women say they don't want the shot because they're afraid of needles. But what's a little prick compared to a pregnancy?