Purpose: to determine weight variation in women with different Body Mass Index (BMI) in use of trimestral injections of depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), and compare it to women users of a non-hormonal method. METHODS: retrospective study with the chart review of 226 DMPA users and 603 controls, users of DIU TCu380A. Women were distributed in categories, according to their initial BMI, as having normal weight (<25 kg/m 2, overweight (25 to 29,9 kg/m 2) and being obese (≥30 kg/m 2, and were followed-up for six years, with yearly measurements of weight and BMI. The statistic test ANOVA was used to measure the weight variation among the groups in each BMI category every year. RESULTS: the average age at the onset of the method employed was higher in the study group than in the controls, in all the BMI categories: 31.6±SD 7.1 X 27.4±SD 5.5 in the normal weight category (p<0.0001); 37.3±SD 6.8 × 29.2±SD 6.0 in the overweight category (p<0.0001); and 35.3±SD 6.4 × 29.7±SD 5.8 among obese women (p<0.0001). DMPA users showed weight increase as compared to the controls in the overweight category (p=0.0082); and the weight increase along the observation period was also higher among the DMPA users than among the controls, for the normal weight (p<0.0001) and overweight (p=0.0008) categories. In the obese group, there was no BMI variation between the groups, nor along the period during which they were using the method. Conclusions: there was no change in weight gain among DMPA users from the obese category. Prospective studies should be done with metabolic tests to establish the determining factors of weight gain in normal and overweight women.318380384Haider, S., Darney, P.D., Injectable contraception (2007) Clin Obstet Gynecol, 50 (4), pp. 898-906Bakry, S., Merhi, Z.O., Scalise, T.J., Mahmoud, M.S., Fadiel, A., Naftolin, F., Depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate: An update (2008) Arch Gynecol Obstet, 278 (1), pp. 1-12Espey, E., Steinhart, J., Ogburn, T., Qualls, C., Depo-provera associated with weight gain in Navajo women (2000) Contraception, 62 (2), pp. 55-8Campos, J.R., Melo, V.H., Acetato de medroxiprogesterona de depósito como anticoncepcional injetável em adolescentes (2001) Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet, 23 (3), pp. 181-6Clark, M.K., Dillon, J.S., Sowers, M., Nichols, S., Weight, fat mass and central distribution of fat increase when women use depot- medroxyprogesterone acetate for contraception (2005) Int J Obes (Lond), 29 (10), pp. 1252-8Pelkman, C., Hormones and weight change (2002) J Reprod Med, 47 (9 SUPPL), pp. 791-4Bahamondes, L., Del Castillo, S., Tabares, G., Arce, X.E., Perrotti, M., Petta, C., Comparison of weigth increase in users of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate and copper IUD up to 5 years (2001) Contraception, 64 (4), pp. 223-5Taneepanichskul, S., Reinprayoon, D., Khaosaad, P., Comparative study of weigth change between long-term DMPA and IUD acceptors: A clinical evaluation (1998) Contraception, 58 (3), pp. 149-51Westhof, C., Jain, J.K., Milsom, I., Ray, A., Changes in weigth with depot medroxyprogesterone acetate subcutaneous injection 104 mg/0,65 m (2007) Contraceptio, 75 (4), pp. 261-7Mangan, S.A., Larsen, P.G., Hudson, S., Overweight teens at increased risk for weight gain while using depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (2002) J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol, 15 (2), pp. 79-82Bonny, A.E., Ziegler, J., Harvey, R., Debanne, S.M., Secic, M., Cromer, B.A., Weigth gain in obese and nonobese adolescent girls initiating depot medroxyprogesterone, oral contraceptive pills, or no hormonal contraceptive method (2006) Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, 160 (1), pp. 40-5Armitage, P., Berry, G., (1985) Statistical methods in medical research, , 2nd ed. Oxford: BlackwellHair, J.F., Anderson, R.E., Tatham, R.L., Black, W.C., (1998) Multivariate data analysis, , 5th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice-HallSaid, S., Omar, K., Koetsawang, S., Kiriwat, O., Srisatayapan, Y., Kazi, A., A multicentred phase III comparative trial of depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate given three-monthly at doses of 100 mg or 150 mg. 1. Contraceptive efficacy and side effects. World Health Organization Task Force on Long-Acting Systemic Agents for Fertility Regulation. Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (1986) Contraception., 34 (3), pp. 223-35Amatayakul, K., Sivasomboon, B., Thanangkul, O., A study of the mechanism of weight gain in medroxyprogesterone acetate users (1980) Contraception, 22 (6), pp. 605-22Physical status: The use interpretation anthropometry [Technical Report Series (1995) 854]. Geneva: WHO, , World Heath OrganizationHassan, D.F., Petta, C.A., Aldrighi, J.M., Bahamondes, L., Perrotti, M., Weight variation in a cohort of women using copper IUD for contraception (2003) Contraception, 68 (1), pp. 27-30Fotherby, K., Koetsawang, S., Metabolism of injectable formulations of contraceptive steroids in obese and thin women (1982) Contraception, 26 (1), pp. 51-8