Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), sold under the brand name Depo-Provera among others, is a steroidal progestin of the 17α-hydroxyprogesterone group and a synthetic derivative of the progestational steroid hormone progesterone. It is used as a hormonal contraceptive, in menopausal hormone replacement therapy, and for the treatment of gynecological disorders, among other indications. MPA is the 17α-acetate ester of medroxyprogesterone, which, in contrast to MPA, was never marketed for clinical use. The term medroxyprogesterone is often inappropriately used as a synonym for MPA, and when it is used, it almost always refers to MPA rather actually than medroxyprogesterone.