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Contraception - Management
How can I help a woman choose which method of contraception is most suitable for her?
- Discuss:
- What method the woman has in mind, and what she understands about the method.
- Other methods that are available.
- Her requirements for contraception, including future plans for having children.
- Her age, health, and any drugs she is using — see Common situations which influence contraceptive choice.
- Pros and cons of suitable methods, including effectiveness, convenience, advantages, disadvantages, and risks.
- Her personal beliefs and views.
- Her circumstances, including the attitudes of her partner and family towards contraception.
- Her previous experience with contraception.
- Her sexual health risks and advice on safer sex.
- Explain that she can try any suitable non-permanent method for a few weeks or months to see how she likes it.
- Identify any relevant conditions or medication which could affect choice of contraceptive.
Clarification / Additional information
- Person-centred care:
- Treatment and care should take into account women's individual needs and preferences [National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health, 2005; WHO, 2005; FFPRHC, 2006c; FPA, 2007].
- Counselling about contraception should be sensitive to cultural differences and religious beliefs [National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health, 2005; WHO, 2005; FPA, 2007].
- Recommended standards for person-centred care in sexual health services are given on the MedFASH website — www.medfash.org.uk.
- Clinical standards on person-centred care in service provision (e.g. consent, confidentiality, record keeping, medicine risk management) are published by the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH), formerly the Faculty of Family Planning and Reproductive Healthcare (FFPRHC), on their website www.ffprhc.org.uk.
- Compare the advantages and disadvantages of contraceptive methods appropriate to the woman.
- If appropriate, take cost-effectiveness into account when advising on a suitable method [National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health, 2005]:
- All currently available long-acting reversible contraceptive methods — copper intrauterine devices (IUDs), the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (IUS), progestogen-only injectables and implants — are more cost effective than combined oral contraceptives (COCs), even at 1 year of use.
- Copper IUDs, the levonorgestrel-releasing IUS, and progestogen implants are more cost effective than progestogen injectables.
- Increasing the uptake of long-acting reversible contraceptive methods will reduce the number of unintended pregnancies.
- For details about each method, see:
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