Introduction: Chronic Conditions Influence Method
Decisions
Chronic medical conditions commonly found in many countries include hypertension,
diabetes, epilepsy, serious headaches, malaria and other tropical diseases. Providing
quality reproductive health services to people with chronic conditions involves several
important considerations.
Chronic Diseases and Contraceptive Use
A chart summarizes how specific chronic diseases influence contraceptive decisions.
Hormonal contraceptives may affect diseases or may be less desirable options in some
cases. Other methods, however, may not be as effective in preventing pregnancy.
Tropical Diseases Can Harm Pregnancy
Malaria and other tropical diseases can harm a pregnancy, and the diseases can be
worsened by pregnancy. While tropical diseases seldom affect the use of contraceptive
methods, a few concerns merit special attention, especially those involving anemia. A
concise description of Major Tropical Diseases
Affecting Reproductive Health is included.
Five Common Conditions
Common chronic diseases or conditions that can affect contraceptive method choice are hypertension, diabetes, sickle
cell disease, headaches, and epilepsy. Chronic Diseases and
Contraceptive Use summarizes in a chart how these and other conditions influence
method decisions.
Disabled Have Many Needs for Contraception
The reproductive needs of people with physical disabilities are usually given low
priority, perhaps due to the incorrect assumption that disabled people are not sexually
active. Important medical issues associated with contraceptive use include the quality of
the disabled person's circulatory system, degree of physical sensation, manual dexterity,
whether a contraceptive method could worsen the condition, and possible interaction
between a method and medication.
Mental Disabilities Affect Method Options
Many factors involving a psychiatric condition or mental retardation influence
contraceptive decisions. For example, how a hormonal contraceptive affects mental
conditions or interacts with drug therapy must be considered.
Good Counseling Vital For Clients with STDs
Counseling for people infected with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) helps them
comply with treatment and understand their contraceptive choices, and encourages them to
notify partners.
Recent FHI Research: Pregnancy Checklist Improves
Method Access
A simple checklist can be an effective tool for ruling out pregnancy at family planning
clinics where laboratory testing for pregnancy is not available or too expensive. In these
clinics, the checklist can increase timely access to contraceptives and thereby reduce the
likelihood of an unplanned pregnancy.
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