Chronic Conditions Needn't Preclude Contraception

Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, MD, MS reviewing Champaloux SW et al. Obstet Gynecol 2015 Dec.

Women with medical conditions rarely use optimal contraception despite several safe choices.

Women with chronic conditions may face excess risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes. To explore contraceptive use among women with selected medical conditions (e.g., breast cancer, diabetes, hypertension), researchers analyzed a nationwide healthcare claims database to identify privately insured women (age range, 15–44) with and without such conditions and assessed claims indicating use of prescription contraceptives during fiscal year 2011 (including claims for long-acting contraceptives within the prior 6 years).

The majority (60%) of women had no claims indicating contraceptive use. Among the relatively large number of women with chronic conditions (5% of women younger than 35 and 21% of those aged 35–44), use of reversible contraception was significantly less likely than among women without such conditions, whereas sterilization was more likely.

Citation(s):

Champaloux SW et al. Contraceptive use among women with medical conditions in a nationwide privately insured population. Obstet Gynecol 2015 Dec; 126:1151.