Contraception

A look at contraceptive methods and how they are poised to affect women’s health.

A literature review published in the journal Contraception finds progestin-only pills (POP) may be more effective than expected.

For medication abortion, a single dose of letrozole 30 mg prior to misoprostol 800 mcg buccally is not effective, according to a recently published pilot study.

Community pharmacists need more support and resources to provide quality contraceptive counseling and care, according to a study published in BMJ Sexual and Reproductive Health.

Women on Medicaid with opioid use disorder (OUD) who use medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are more likely to use contraception and to undergo female sterilization than peers not prescribed MOUD, according to a study in Contraception.

Fertility myths and declining sexual satisfaction may contribute to shortfalls in contraceptive use after cancer treatment, a new study concludes.

Understanding the effects is imperative for patient satisfaction.

An umbrella review of meta-analysis studies on hormonal contraceptives published in JAMA Network Open finds no high-quality evidence that they cause major adverse health outcomes such as stroke or cancer.

The contraception and abortion care workforce in the United States significantly decreased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a research letter published in JAMA Network Open.

The US Food and Drug Administration recently updated its guidelines for dispensing mifepristone (the “abortion pill”) to now include certified pharmacies.

A substudy of the Evidence for Contraceptive Options and HIV Outcomes (ECHO) trial, which compared three highly effective, reversible methods of contraception, concluded that women assigned either a copper intrauterine device (Cu-IUD) or the levonorgestrel (LNG) implant may have had condomless sex more frequently than women assigned to intramuscular depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA-IM).

Thomas Kimble, MD, provides an overview of currently available hormonal contraceptive options.

Experts in gynecology consider the role of pharmacists and other healthcare providers in contraceptive counseling and education.

Jenna Beckham, MD, MSPH, FACOG, and Thomas Kimble, MD, highlight key points to share with a patient who has just been prescribed a contraceptive.

The rate of unintended pregnancies throughout the US military declined significantly since 2005, according to a study published in Contraception.

Heavy menstrual bleeding is the No. 1 risk factor for intrauterine device (IUD) expulsion, according to an analysis of a US cohort study.

Drs Jenna Beckham and Thomas Kimble share their thoughts on initiating conversations surrounding contraception options with patients.

Jenna Beckham, MD, MSPH, FACOG, and Thomas Kimble, MD, provide an overview of the use of contraception methods in the US.

A study published in the journal Contraception shows patients sought guidance from clinics to remove their own IUDs at a much higher rate than before the pandemic.

Results from a randomized controlled trial study suggest dextromethorphan may even worsen patient pain experience.

An over-the-counter (OTC) progestin only pill (POP) could potentially reduce the overall number of unintended pregnancies in the United States, according to a modeling study published in the journal Contraception.

The major conclusion of a demographic and health survey of sexually active women from the sub-Saharan African country Chad is that education is key for adopting modern contraceptive methods.

Rhesus (Rh) immunoglobulin should be given only after 12 weeks gestation for spontaneous abortion, or for medication or uterine aspiration abortion, according to a new consensus statement from the Society of Family Planning (SFP).

Service disruptions at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic altered and exacerbated geographic disparities in access to abortion care in Louisiana, according to a study published in Contraception.

Federal health programs that provide services to economic and racial minorities may have a reputation for providing less empathetic or patient-centered care than private health care institutions, but a new study shows that—at least in contraceptive counseling¬—that’s not the case.

A study in the journal Contraception found that, within the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, abortion clinics in states with low or medium hostility to abortion were significantly more likely to embrace innovative medication abortion practices such as changing ultrasound requirements, offering telehealth or dispensing medications without a physical exam, compared to abortion clinics in states with high or extreme hostility to abortion.

The fact that copper-containing intrauterine devices (Cu-IUDs) can increase bleeding and discontinuation rates compared to levonorgestrel-releasing IUDs (LNG-IUDs) does not mean clinicians should steer patients toward the latter, according to a review published in BMC Women’s Health. Due to high satisfaction rates with both devices, authors recommend letting patients choose based on their needs and preferences.

The survey highlighted increased services through primary care and in rural areas, and also emphasized a need for more providers to ensure equitable access.

Women with higher body mass indexes (BMI) and weights are significantly more likely to experience failure with levonorgestrel as emergency contraception than women with lower BMIs and weights.

Community perspectives on pharmacist-prescribed hormonal contraception in rural California reveal that awareness among potential users is low, despite people being supportive and interested in the service.