Step 1: DMPA is a long-acting injectable progestin-only contraceptive. It is given intramuscularly as an oily depot preparation, from which the drug is slowly released.
Step 2: The standard dose is 150 mg given at 3-month intervals. The slow release provides reliable suppression of ovulation for about 12 weeks, after which the next injection is due. Hence DMPA is given once in 3 months.
Step 3: For comparison, norethisterone enanthate (NEE) 200 mg is the other injectable progestin and is given every 2 months, while combined long-acting injectables are given once a month. None of these matches 6 or 9 months or 45 days, so those options are wrong.
Step 4: A key side effect of DMPA is disruption of the menstrual bleeding pattern with eventual amenorrhoea, which is more common with DMPA than with other progestins.