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| Women with medical problems, even if chronic or quite
serious, may need contraception. Providing a contraceptive method in such circumstances,
however, can be complicated because the underlying medical problem may limit the number of
methods that are appropriate for use. As a consequence, special knowledge about the
interaction between a given medical problem and various contraceptive methods is required
on the part of the service provider. In addition, women with medical problems need special
counseling to guide them in choosing an appropriate contraceptive method. Although some of
the problems presented in this chapter are uncommon, they are included to provide
clinicians with the most up-to-date and complete information possible. Only in this way
can clients with these medical problems be helped in choosing safe and effective
contraception. The risk of pregnancy to a woman with a serious medical problem, such as
high blood pressure, always must be weighed against the low risk associated with using a
particular contraceptive method.1
Finally, postpartum women with serious medical problems should be encouraged to fully breastfeed their infants. Clearly, breastfeeding according to LAM is an effective, short-term method of contraception and is one of the safest methods for a mother with medical problems. In the following pages the key factors relevant to contraceptive use in clients with medical problems are outlined. They are arranged in alphabetical order. For those conditions where one (or more) contraceptive method is most appropriate, it appears in boldface.
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| Go to PocketGuide for Family Planning Service Providers |
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