Meeting the contraceptive needs of the modern woman [antikvár]

The importance of contraceptive choice S. R. Killick Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Princess Royal Hospitál, Hull, UK It is clear that contraceptive choice is an important issue both for physicians and patients, which can have a significant impact on long-term contraceptive success. Whatever method is recommended by a physician must suit the woman and her lifestyle, and there is evidence that involving women in the choice of contraceptive can significantly improve compliance and therefore efficacy. The process of selecting the most appropriate method of contraception is complex, with an increasing number of options becoming available. For most women, however, oral contraception remains the most favored option. As for all contraceptive methods, the choice of hormonal contraception is alsó expanding, with new, lower-dose preparations and different combinations of estrogen and progestogen becoming available. Choosing the best preparation is not straightforward, and many factors must be considered. Interestingly, although the factors involved in this decision-making process are similar for both the physician and the patient, the importance ascribed to the various factors differs considerably. Recent markét research studies reveal that, for the prescriber, good cycle control and tolerance are the most important features of an oral contraceptive, but, for the user, avoiding weight gain is seen by many as the most important issue. Among users, there is both variation between country and alsó between different age groups. For both physicians and users, prescribing the lowest possible hormonal dose remains an important factor. In the final analysis, choosing an oral contraceptive needs to be a joint decision, taking into account both the opinions of the prescriber and the wishes of the user.