Which type of birth control is better, the depo shot or the pills, and why?

what are the side effects of each of them?

The pill.Possible Side Effects
The birth control pill is a safe and effective method of birth control. Most young women who take the Pill have none to very few side effects. However, the side effects that some women do have while on the Pill include:

irregular menstrual bleeding
nausea, weight gain, headaches, dizziness, and breast tenderness
mood changes
blood clots (rare in women under 35 who do not smoke)
Some of these side effects improve over the first 3 months on the Pill. When a girl has side effects, a doctor will sometimes prescribe a different brand of the Pill.

The Pill also has some side effects that most young women are happy about. It usually makes periods much lighter, reduces cramps, and is often prescribed for women who have menstrual problems. Taking the Pill often improves acne, and some doctors prescribe it for this purpose. Birth control pills have also been found to protect against some forms of breast disease, anemia, ovarian cysts, and uterine cancer.
Depo provera
Side effects cannot be anticipated. If any develop or change in intensity, inform your doctor as soon as possible. Only your doctor can determine if it is safe for you to continue taking Depo-Provera.

By far, the most common side effect of Depo-Provera is unpredictable menstrual bleeding. In fact, most women have some change in their menstrual pattern. For example, when first taking Depo-Provera, it is common to have spotting between menstrual periods, or an increase or decrease in the amount of bleeding when menstrual periods occur. With continued use, many women stop having their menstrual periods altogether.

By 12 months (or four injections), 55 percent of women report not having periods, and by 24 months, 68 percent no longer have periods. Going without a menstrual period is not an indication that something is wrong, however.

More common side effects may include:
Abdominal pain or discomfort, dizziness, headache, nervousness, unpredictable menstrual bleeding, weakness or fatigue, weight gain or loss

Less common side effects may include:
Acne, backache, bloating, breast pain, swelling, or tenderness, decreased sex drive, depression, fluid retention, hair loss, hot flashes, inability to fall asleep or stay asleep, inability to have an orgasm, joint pain, lack of hair growth, leg cramps, nausea, pain in the pelvic area, rash, vaginal discharge or irritation, vaginal inflammation

Rare side effects may include:
Allergic reactions (sometimes severe), anemia, asthma, bleeding from the rectum or nipples, blood clots, blood clots in the lungs, blood disorders, breast cancer, breast lumps, cancer in the neck of the uterus, changes in appetite, change in breast size, chest pain, chills, convulsions, difficult or labored breathing, drowsiness, dry skin, excessive growth of hair, excessive or unusual flow of milk, excessive sweating and body odor, excessive thirst, facial paralysis, fainting, feeling of being pregnant, fever, hoarseness, increased sex drive, infections of the reproductive and urinary tracts, lack of return to fertility, overgrowth of the uterus, pain at the injection site, pain during sexual intercourse, painful menstruation, paralysis, prevention of the flow of milk, rapid heartbeat, skin discoloration, stomach and intestinal problems, swelling in the armpit, thinning of bones, tingling or ``pins and needles'', toughening or hardening of the skin, unexpected pregnancy, vaginal cysts, varicose veins, yellow eyes and skin

------------------------------... Source(s): http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_he...
http://www.healthsquare.com/newrx/dep112...

dont do the shot, i gained alot of weight
i now have the MIrena IUD. i love it. your doc puts it in and your periods are really short and light
like 2 - 3 days and really light
They are really equally effective it just depends on what you want. Depo tends to make you gain more weight but you don't have to worry about the day to day pills. They are both hormone birth control so either way they're about the same. It truly is a personal decision.
Well with the shot you only have to take it once a month and
it lessens your periods. You can also start taking them
again soon after having a baby. The side effects are mild
(can't remember what they are). However you have to go to
your OBGYN every three months just for the shot.

The pills vary but either way you have to remember to take a
pill every day but will still only have to see your
gynocologist once a year. There are more side effects of
taking the pill compared to the shot(can't remember what
they are).
I do NOT recomend the shot. I was on it, and after it wore off, I was on for 3 weeks straight... I will never do it again. But you can do the same thing with your pills as the shot does. Just don't take the last 7 of them.. Just start a new package if you don't want to have a period.