Recommendations and contraindications for hormonal birth control
The following table lists the recommendations and contraindications for hormonal methods of birth control.
What to consider when using hormonal methods of birth control Consideration Combination pills, skin patch, or vaginal ring (estrogen plus progestin) Progestin-only pills Recommended for women who:
- Are healthy
- Are breast-feeding (6 weeks after delivery)
- Smoke (if younger than 35) without other health risks
- Have diabetes (if younger than 35) without complications
- Have controlled high blood pressure and do not smoke
- Have controlled cholesterol levels
- Have had an abortion
- Cannot take estrogen. Health risks related to estrogen use are not present with progestin-only pills.
- Are breast-feeding (3 days after delivery)
- Have migraines with aura
Not recommended for women who:
- Smoke and are older than 35
- Have diabetes and are older than 35
- Have a risk for blood clots, including a family history of clots or a past clot in the lung (pulmonary embolism) or leg (thrombophlebitis)
- Have had a stroke
- Have coronary artery disease or heart failure
- Have (or had) breast cancer
- Are pregnant or may be pregnant
- Have (or had) liver cancer, non-cancerous tumours of the liver, active hepatitis, or poor liver function
- Have uncontrolled high blood pressure
- Have undiagnosed abnormal vaginal bleeding
- Have migraine headaches with neurological symptoms or migraine aura
- Have lupus with heart, blood vessel, or kidney symptoms
- Have sickle cell anemia
- Have high triglyceride levels
| Author: | Merrill Hayden Carrie Henley | Last Updated: August 16, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology Femi Olatunbosun, MB, FRCSC - Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine | |
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