Background: Self-administered subcutaneous depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA-SC) is poised to increase access to contraception; however, governments are concerned about the waste management of used units. Selfinjectors in Malawi and Uganda are currently instructed to store used units in containers and return them to health workers for disposal. However, this may not be feasible in low-resource settings, especially for younger or covert self-injectors. We describe adolescent (15-19 years) and adult (20-49 years) self-injectors' disposal experiences in Uganda and Malawi. When possible, we compare covert and overt users' experiences. Methods: We conducted cross-sectional qualitative studies in 2019 with 50 self-injectors in Uganda and 60 in Malawi. We purposively selected approximately half adolescents and included those trained by clinic-based providers and community health workers. We conducted semi-structured interviews and thematic data analysis and compared the findings across settings.