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Contraception - Management
How does the presence of migrainous or non-migrainous headache influence choice?
- Women with non-migrainous headaches
- Methods that can be used without restriction: initiation of combined oral contraceptives (COCs), the combined contraceptive patch, combined contraceptive vaginal ring; progestogen-only pill, progestogen-only injectables and implants, copper intrauterine devices (IUDs), the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (IUS), barrier methods, and natural family planning.
- Methods that can generally be used (advantages generally outweigh the risks): continuation of COCs, the combined contraceptive patch and combined contraceptive vaginal ring in women who develop non-migrainous headaches while taking combined hormonal contraceptives.
- Women with migraine without aura, at any age
- Methods that can be used without restriction: copper IUDs, initiation of progestogen-only pill, barrier methods, and natural family planning.
- Methods that can generally be used (advantages generally outweigh risks): initiation of COCs, the combined contraceptive patch, combined contraceptive vaginal ring; continuation of progestogen-only pills; progestogen-only injectables and implants, the levonorgestrel IUS.
- Methods that should generally not be used (risks usually outweigh advantages): continuation of COCs, the combined contraceptive patch, combined contraceptive vaginal ring.
- Women with migraine with aura, at any age
- Methods that can be used without restriction: copper IUDs, barrier methods, and natural family planning.
- Methods that can generally be used (advantages generally outweigh the risks): progestogen-only pill, progestogen-only implants and injectables, and the levonorgestrel-releasing IUS.
- Methods that should not be used (unacceptable risk): COCs, the combined contraceptive patch, and the combined contraceptive vaginal ring.
- Women with a past history (>= 5 years ago) of migraine with aura, at any age
- Methods that can be used without restriction: copper IUDs, barrier methods, and natural family planning.
- Methods that can be used without restriction: initiation of the progestogen-only pill, copper IUDs, barrier methods, and natural family planning.
- Methods that can generally be used (advantages generally outweigh the risks): the progestogen-only pill, progestogen-only implants and injectables, and the levonorgestrel-releasing IUS.
- Methods that are not usually recommended (risks usually outweigh the advantages): COCs, the combined contraceptive patch, and combined contraceptive vaginal ring.
In depth
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