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Contraception - Management
UK Medical Eligibility Criteria for female sterilization

The UK Medical Eligibility Criteria are a set of evidence-based recommendations designed to help women select the most appropriate method of contraception for specific clinical conditions without imposing necessary restrictions [FFPRHC, 2006a]. Each clinical condition has a recommendation for contraceptive use, categorized according to the balance of benefits and harms weighted by their probabilities for the typical user with the condition. The categories are defined in Table 1. Table 2 describes the UK Medical Eligibility Criteria for female sterilization.

Table 1. UK Medical Eligibility Criteria (UKMEC).
Category
Definition
UKMEC Accept
There is no medical reason to deny sterilization to a person with this condition.
UKMEC Caution
The procedure is normally conducted in a routine setting, but with extra preparation, precautions, and counselling.
UKMEC Delay
The procedure is delayed until the condition is evaluated, treated, and/or changes. Alternative temporary methods of contraception should be provided.
UKMEC Special
The procedure should be undertaken in a setting with an experienced surgeon and staff, equipment needed to provide general anaesthesia, and other back-up medical support. For these conditions, the capacity to decide on the most appropriate procedure and anaesthesia method is also needed. Alternative temporary methods of contraception should be provided, if referral is required or there is otherwise any delay.
Source: [FFPRHC, 2006a]
Table 2. UK Medical Eligibility Criteria (UKMEC) for female sterilization.
Clinical feature
UKMEC Accept
No restrictions
UKMEC Caution
Additional preparation
UKMEC Delay
Evaluate, treat or observe
UKMEC Special
Specialized staff and facilities required
Pregnancy
Pregnancy
Age
Young age (particularly < 30 years)
Parity
Parous
Nulliparous
Postpartum
Breastfeeding
At the time of caesarean section
After vaginal delivery or emergency Caesarean section
Post-abortion
Post-abortion (spontaneous and induced)
Ectopic pregnancy
History of ectopic pregnancy
Smoking
Previous or current smoker
Obesity
BMI >= 30kg/m2
Blood pressure
History of high blood pressure during pregnancy
Adequately controlled hypertension
Consistently elevated blood pressure: systolic > 140–159 mmHg or diastolic > 90–94 mmHg
Consistently elevated blood pressure: systolic >= 160 mmHg, or diastolic >= 95 mmHg
Vascular disease including angina, intermittent claudication, hypertensive retinopathy, transient ischaemic attacks
Surgery
History of pelvic surgery
Major surgery without prolonged immobilization
Minor surgery without immobilization
Sterilization concurrent with abdominal surgery: elective
Major surgery with prolonged immobilization
Sterilization concurrent with abdominal surgery: emergency without previous counselling
Sterilization concurrent with abdominal surgery and with an infectious condition
Previous abdominal or pelvic surgery
Other risk factors for venous thromboembolism
History of VTE
Family history of VTE in a first-degree relative
Known thrombogenic mutations, e.g. factor V Leiden, prothrombin mutation, protein S, protein C, antithrombin deficiencies
Varicose veins
Superficial thrombophlebitis
Current VTE (on anticoagulants)
Immobility (unrelated to surgery), e.g. wheelchair use, debilitating illness
Coagulation disorders
Raynaud's disease
Primary
Secondary, with and without lupus anticoagulant
Headaches
Non-migrainous headaches; mild or severe
Migraine headaches with or without aura
History of migraine with aura at any age
Epilepsy
Epilepsy
Psychological conditions
Depressive disorders
Breast disease
Undiagnosed mass
Benign breast disease or a family history of breast cancer
Carriers of known gene mutations associated with breast cancer (e.g. BRCA1)
History of breast cancer and no evidence of recurrence for 5 years
Current breast cancer
Vaginal bleeding
Irregular, heavy, or prolonged bleeding
Unexplained vaginal bleeding (before evaluation), suspicious for serious condition
Other gynaecological conditions
Benign ovarian tumours, including cysts
Severe dysmenorrhoea
Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia when hCG is normal
Cervical ectropion
Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)
Uterine fibroids, with or without distortion of the uterine cavity
Ovarian cancer
Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia when hCG is abnormal
Cervical cancer, awaiting treatment
Endometrial cancer
Endometriosis
Fixed uterus due to previous surgery or infection
Cardiovascular conditions
History of ischaemic heart disease
Stroke
Uncomplicated valvular and congenital heart disease
Current ischaemic heart disease
Multiple risk factors for arterial cardiovascular disease
Valvular and congenital heart disease complicated (e.g. by pulmonary hypertension, atrial fibrillation, or history of subacute bacterial endocarditis)
Gastrointestinal conditions
History of cholestasis: related to pregnancy or to use of combined oral contraceptive
Gallbladder disease: symptomatic treated by cholecystectomy, or medically treated
Asymptomatic gall bladder disease
Viral hepatitis: carrier
Cirrhosis: mild (compensated)
Liver tumours: benign and malignant
Gall-bladder disease: current symptomatic
Viral hepatitis: active
Cirrhosis: severe (decompensated)
Inflammatory bowel disease
Hernia
Diaphragmatic hernia
Abdominal wall or umbilical hernia
Infections
Past pelvic inflammatory disease (assuming no known current risk factors for STIs) with subsequent pregnancy
Schistosomiasis, uncomplicated
Non-pelvic tuberculosis
Malaria
Other STIs (excluding HIV and hepatitis)
Increased risk of STI's
Vaginitis
High risk of HIV or HIV-infected
Viral hepatitis: carrier
Past pelvic inflammatory disease (assuming no known current risk factors for STIs) without subsequent pregnancy
Schistosomiasis, with fibrosis of liver
Current purulent cervicitis or chlamydial infection or gonorrhoea
Current pelvic inflammatory disease
Local infection (abdominal skin infection)
Systemic infection
Gastroenteritis
Viral hepatitis: active
AIDS and using HAART
Known pelvic tuberculosis
Diabetes
History of gestational disease
NIDDM and IDDM, non-vascular disease
With nephropathy, retinopathy, or neuropathy, or other vascular disease
Other vascular disease
Duration > 20 years
Thyroid
Simple goitre
Hypothyroid
Hyperthyroid
Haematological conditions
Thalassaemia
Sickle cell disease
Iron-deficiency anaemia: haemoglobin level 7–10 g/dL
Iron-deficiency anaemia: haemoglobin level < 7 g/dL
Dyslipidaemia
Known hyperlipidaemias
Respiratory diseases
Acute bronchitis orpneumonia
Chronic asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, lung infection
Severe nutritional deficiencies
Severe nutritional deficiencies
Kidney disease
Kidney disease
BMI = body mass index; CIN = cervical intraepithelial neoplasia; HAART = highly active antiretroviral therapy; hCG = human chorionic gonadotrophin; IDDM = insulin-dependent diabetes; NIDDM = non-insulin-dependent diabetes; STI = sexually transmitted infection; VTE = venous thromboembolism.
Adapted from: [FFPRHC, 2006a]

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