Concerns about the relationship between the contraceptive jab and the bone disease osteoporosis will be discussed at major conference on the condition.
The 10th National Conference on Osteoporosis, which is being held in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, will bring together experts on the illness - sometimes called brittle bone disease - to discuss recent developments.
Among the topics under discussion will be the current debate over the impact of the contraceptive injection Depo-Provera on bone density.
Some scientists have warned against teenagers using the jab because it could lead to osteoporosis in later life.
Benefits of calcium
Other sessions will consider Vitamin D deficiency in Asian women and the benefits of giving calcium and vitamin supplements to frail older people in care homes.
The conference, which is held every two years, brings together the leading clinicians and researchers working in the field.
It will also see the National Osteoporosis Society launch its five year strategic plan. This will outline the charity's work and vision until 2009.
The meeting will also see the awarding of the Kohn Foundation Award, which is presented for outstanding achievement in the field of osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis occurs when the holes between bone become bigger, making it fragile and liable to break easily.
It can affect the whole skeleton but it most commonly causes breaks to bones in the wrist, spine and hip. According to the National Osteoporosis Society, the disease affects three million people in the UK.