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Contraception - Management
What follow-up arrangement should I consider for a woman using a progestogen-only pill (POP)?
- Arrange follow up 10–12 weeks after the first prescription of a progestogen-only pill (POP) and then at least every 12 months thereafter, provided there are no problems.
- At the follow-up visit:
- Check that the woman is taking the POP correctly and consistently.
- Check her knowledge of what to do if a pill is missed.
- Remind her about possible drug interactions.
- Review for any new risk factors — see UK Medical Eligibility Criteria.
- Address any issues or problems she might have. The most common problems are:
- Breast tenderness. This is usually transient; if it is persistently troublesome, consider changing to another POP, or to another contraceptive method.
- Irregular menstrual bleeding.
Basis for recommendation
- These recommendations are pragmatic and based on expert opinion [Guillebaud, 2007].
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