The Effect of Duration of Use of Depomedroxyprogesterone Acetate on the Thickness of the Vaginal Epithelium of Mice

BACKGROUND: Depomedroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) is one of the most effective contraceptive methods currently widely used. Injectable contraceptives, including DMPA, are growing in popularity because of their ease of use, effectiveness and affordability. The use of DMPA also has advantages such as not interfering with sexual relations, does not need male participation, does not require storage space, and is easy to obtain and helps increase body weight. AIM: The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of the duration of use of DMPA on the thickness of the vaginal epithelium of mice. METHODS: The research design used in this study was true experimental with a post-test only control group design approach. This research was carried out treatment at a dose of 0.39 mg/mouse/day DMPA exposure in mice. The phenomenon observed in this study was the thickness of the vaginal epithelium of mice. This study used mice with the completely randomized design method and was carried out at the Pharmacology Laboratory and the Anatomical Pathology Laboratory, FKH Unsyiah. The collection of data technique was conducted by observation with a light microscope to calculate the average thickness of the vaginal epithelium of mice injected with DMPA in the four groups. The data analysis technique was carried out in five stages, namely, the normality test of the sample data with the Shapiro–Wilk test, the homogeneity test of variance with the Levene test, and comparing the thickness of the vaginal epithelium in each of the two treatment groups using the independent t-test. RESULTS: The finding revised that there was a significant difference in the thickness of the vaginal epithelium in the two treatment groups 10 days and 15 days of DMPA exposure which was indicated by a p = 0.003 (p < 0.05). DMPA exposure levels cause thinning of the vaginal epithelial thickness. The average thickness of vaginal epithelium exposure to DMPA for 10 days in the control group was 182536.33 ± 5773.465. In the treatment group, exposure to DMPA for 10 days, the thickness of the vaginal epithelium was 168322.33 ± 7611.300. The mean vaginal epithelial thickness in the 15-day DMPA exposure group in the control group was 177242.83 ± 9689.558. In the 15-day DMPA exposure treatment group, the thickness of the vaginal epithelium was 138674.83 ± 17176.124. CONCLUSION: There was a difference in the mean vaginal epithelial thickness between the control group and 10 days of DMPA exposure. There was a difference