Contraception for patients with psychiatric or medical disorders.

Abstract

The increased risk that pregnancy carries for women with medical disorders must be weighed against the risks of reversible contraception. In the absence of prospective randomized trials of various contraceptive methods and their effect on a given disease process, the clinician must use information regarding the risk of pregnancy in a woman with medical problems, the well-documented failure rates of various methods, and the probability that the patient will use the method (or any other method) effectively. The possible effects of contraceptive methods on cardiovascular, endocrinologic, neurologic, and other medical disorders are discussed as are appropriate contraceptive options and considerations for these women.