• Provided that there are no medical contraindications, any method of contraception can be used, and a girl should choose her own method. However:
• Before menarche: condoms are preferred for sexually active premenarchal girls (as a contraceptive, and to prevent sexually transmitted infection); hormonal methods are not advised.
• Bone mineral density: a progestogen-only injectable may be used if the girl chooses this over other contraceptive methods.
• Prevention of sexually transmitted infections: when a hormonal or intrauterine contraceptive method is chosen, condoms should also be used to prevent sexually transmitted infections.
• Give advice about prevention of sexually transmitted infections.
• The correct and consistent use of condoms should be advised to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections.
• Young people should be advised to get tested for sexually transmitted infections 2 and 12 weeks after unprotected sexual intercourse.
• Reassure girls and young women that:
• Combined oral contraceptives (COCs) may improve acne vulgaris. Co-cyprindiol is indicated to treat severe acne which has not responded to oral antibiotics, but the higher risk of venous thromboembolism should be noted.
• Any increase in risk of cancer associated with hormonal contraception is very small and not clinically relevant when weighed against the risk of pregnancy should contraception not be used.
• The risk of venous thromboembolism is increased with use of COCs, but the absolute risk is very low.
• There is no evidence of weight gain with use of COCs or the patch.
• It is unclear whether hormonal contraception has an adverse effect on mood.
• Altered bleeding patterns can occur with hormonal contraception, but dysmenorrhoea may improve with use of combined hormonal contraception.

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