Pseudocyesis in an adolescent using the long-acting contraceptive Depo-Provera
Flanagan, P.J.; Harel, Z.
Journal of Adolescent Health Official Publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 25(3): 238-240
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 1054-139X PMID: 10475500 DOI: 10.1016/s1054-139x(99)00021-xDocument Number: 283726
A case report documents a Hispanic adolescent, 17 years of age, with pseudocyesis, who became amenorrheic using Depo-Provera to prevent a second pregnancy. Pseudocyesis includes classic symptoms of pregnancy such as nausea, breast enlargement and pigmentation, abdominal distention, and amenorrhea in nonpregnant women. It demonstrates the to control one's physical aspect at the level of hypothalamus. The involvement that contributed to her pseudocyesis--in this case, of her mother and boyfriend -- was not unusual. The abrupt resolution was brought on by normal menstrual period that began after she voluntarily missed her Depo-Provera injection. However, her ambivalence about a pregnancy became clear after she and her family received counseling. While the agenda had been to help her prevent a pregnancy, hers had not been as clear and uncomplicated. Her subsequent conception was a very positive one for her and her family, which helped to resolve the situation.