PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL FLORIDA
736 Central Ave, Sarasota FL 34236 • (941) 567-3800 • ppswcf.org
Revised 06/08/22
Created by: Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas & Adapted by: Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida
6. Pull back the plunger and draw air into the syringe. The amount of air drawn into the syringe should be the same
amount (mL or cc) as the dose of medication that your clinician prescribed. Do not let the needle touch any
surfaces!
7. Set the vial on your working space, with the rubber stopper facing up, and insert the needle straight down through
the center of the rubber stopper into the bottle (see Figure 1).
8. Push the plunger of the syringe down and push the air from the syringe into the vial.
9. Keeping the needle in the vial, use your other hand to turn the vial upside-down. Do not let go of the vial!
10. Position the needle so the liquid is covering the tip of the needle.
11. Keep the vial upside-down and slowly pull back on the plunger until the syringe is filled with the number (mL or cc)
that matches the dose your clinician prescribed you. As you remove the medication from the vial, the level in the
bottle decreases. You may have to lower the needle below the fluid level to draw up as much medication as you
need (see Figure 2).
12. Keeping the needle in the vial, check for air bubbles in the syringe. If there are air bubbles, gently tap the syringe
with your fingers until the air bubbles rise to the top of the syringe. Then, slowly push the plunger up to force the air
bubbles out of the syringe without removing the needle from the bottle (see Figure 3).
13. After air bubbles are gone, pull the plunger slightly past the number (mL or cc) on the syringe that matches your
dose.
14. Pull the syringe with needle out of the bottle.
15. Remove the 18 or 20 gauge needle and put it into the sharps container without recapping it.
16. Hold the 22 or 23 gauge needle by the packaging or the cap and place it securely on the syringe.
a. Do not touch the base of the needle that attaches to the syringe.
b. Do not remove the protective cap from the needle until you are ready to inject.
17. Gently push the plunger to the number (mL or cc) matching your dose, making sure that you have the correct dose
in the syringe. It is very important that you use the exact dose prescribed by your clinician. See end of document
for images on how to read a 1mL or 3mL syringe.
Step 3: Select and prepare injection site
1. There are two areas you can pick for your injection site:
a. Thigh muscle, also known as the vastus lateralis (see Figure 4)
b. Hip muscle, also known as the ventrogluteal muscle (see Figure 5)
2. The upper thigh is a good site if you are injecting yourself. If you want to use the hip muscle, you will need to
get help from someone else.
3. If you want, you can apply ice or an over-the-counter numbing cream to the injection site before cleaning it. This
may help with discomfort.
4. Wipe the area where you plan to give the injection with a new alcohol swab and let air dry. If you do not let it air dry,
it might cause stinging during the injection.
5. Do not touch this area again until you give the injection.