Removing medical barriers to contraception - evidence-based recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016

[Preventive activities in women: PAPPS 2024 update]

In the 2024 PAPPS update, we present preventive activities specific to women's health, except those related to cancer prevention (which are included in another document) and aspects related to differential morbidity of gender, which is a cross-cutting element for all working groups. Contraception is an essential preventive activity; the right to decide both the number of children that they will have and when to have them is considered basic. We must inform about contraceptive methods, guaranteeing in follow-up their safety, efficacy, and effectiveness (tables are included on changing from one method to another to preserve contraceptive protection). We must inform about emergency contraception and propose it in in the event of unprotected intercourse. We will use opportunistic screening to do this, without needing to screen for thrombophilia or dyslipidaemia, but we will screen for hypertension. Pregnancy is a major life experience and general practitioners should not ignore it. We should be competent at both preconception consultation (recommend folic acid intake, avoiding exposure to occupational and environmental hazards, screen for certain pathologies, and assess the intake of medication not indicated during pregnancy) and during follow-up of pregnancy. Whether or not we follow-up the pregnancy, we should not fail to monitor it, taking advantage of this period to promote healthy lifestyles and manage potential intercurrent events. Menopause in general and osteoporosis in particular exemplify the strategy of medicalising life events that has been followed by different bodies and organisations. In our update we address the prevention and treatment of symptoms secondary to oestrogen deprivation. We also propose osteoporosis prevention, including bone density scanning according to the fracture risk in the next 10 years, therefore, bone density screening is not recommended in women under 60 years of age. We recommend the FRAX tool for assessing risk, or better, measuring hip fracture risk with prevalence data from the Community of Madrid. The indication for treatment is linked to the Z-score (bone mineral density compared with women of the same age), since this is a condition associated with aging, and not the T-score, which is used to compare women of 20 years of age.

[Preventive activities in women. PAPPS update 2022]

In the 2022 PAPPS update we present those specific preventive activities for women's health, except those related to cancer prevention (which are included in another document) and those aspects related to differential gender morbidity, a cross-cutting aspect for all working groups. Contraception is an essential preventive activity, considering basic the right to decide both the number of children and the time to have them. We must inform about the possible contraceptive methods, guaranteeing the monitoring of their safety, efficacy and effectiveness (tables are included on changing from one method to another to preserve contraceptive protection). We must inform about emergency contraception and propose it in the event of unprotected intercourse. All this will be done through opportunistic screening without requiring screening for thrombophilia or dyslipidemia, but for arterial hypertension. Pregnancy is an important life experience and the family doctor should not remain oblivious. We must be competent both in the preconception consultation (recommending the intake of folic acid, avoiding exposure to occupational and environmental risks, screening for certain pathologies and assessing the intake of drugs not indicated during pregnancy) and in the monitoring of pregnancy. Whether or not we monitor the pregnancy, we must not disregard its control, taking advantage of this period to promote healthy lifestyles and participating in the intercurrent processes that may occur. Menopause in general and osteoporosis in particular exemplify the strategy of medicalization of vital processes that has been followed from different instances and organizations. In our update we address the prevention and treatment of symptoms secondary to estrogen deprivation. We also propose the prevention of osteoporosis, including carrying out densitometry based on the risk of fracture in the next 10 years, and therefore densitometric screening is not recommended in women under 60 years of age. In risk assessment we recommend the use of the frax tool or better, the calibration of the risk of hip fracture with prevalence data from our setting. We linked the indication for treatment with the Z-Score (bone mineral density compared with women of the same age), as it is a condition associated with aging.

How NPs can eliminate practice barriers to intrauterine device use

ABSTRACT

Barriers to intrauterine device use include cost, absence of qualified providers, the lack of simplified insertion protocols, cultural hesitation, and misconceptions of appropriateness of use. This article outlines how NPs can eliminate practice barriers to intrauterine device use and prevent unintended pregnancy.

[Preventive activities in women's care]

A review is presented of the scientific evidence on preventive activities in women's care in relation to pregnancy follow-up, preventive activities in the planning and follow-up of contraceptive methods, preventive activities in menopause, and the prevention of osteoporotic fractures.

Use of Dolutegravir for Antiretroviral Therapy for Women of Childbearing Age

The purpose of this article is to offer an update on the use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV among women of childbearing age. We focus specifically on the use of dolutegravir (DTG) because of a recently identified potential safety issue related to neural tube defects in the fetuses of women who used DTG at the time of conception. Nurses and advanced practice registered nurses should engage in shared decision-making processes for reproductive life planning with women of childbearing age who are living with or are at risk for HIV. During these processes, exploration of the full range of ART regimens is essential. Consistent and reliable contraception is necessary with the use of DTG because it is not recommended in the first trimester of pregnancy.

HIV Status and Contraceptive Utilization among Women in Cameroon

OBJECTIVE

We examined patterns of contraceptive utilization by HIV status among women in Cameroon, hypothesizing that women living with HIV would utilize contraception at higher rates than their HIV-negative peers.

METHODS

Deidentified, clinical data from the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services (2007-2013) were analyzed (N = 8995). Frequencies compared outcomes between women living with HIV (15.1%) and uninfected women. Multivariate analyses examined associates of contraceptive utilization and desire to become pregnant.

RESULTS

Contraceptive utilization was associated with higher education, living with HIV, monogamy, and higher parity ( P < .001). Women living with HIV had 66% higher odds of using contraceptives than their negative peers (odds ratio [OR]: 1.66, confidence interval [CI]: 1.45-1.91, P < .001). Polygamous women had 37% lower odds of using contraceptives compared to monogamous women (OR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.52-0.75, P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Increasing contraceptive utilization in resource-constrained settings should be a priority for clinicians and researchers. Doing so could improve population health by reducing HIV transmission between partners and from mother to child.

Updated Guidance for Safe and Effective Use of Contraception

Progress has been made in efforts to reduce unintended pregnancy; however, unintended pregnancy remains a public health issue in the United States. A key component of reducing unintended pregnancy is to increase correct and consistent use of contraception by reducing barriers to access and use. The CDC has recently updated its guidance for the safe and effective use of contraception. The U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use (US MEC), 2016, and U.S. Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use (US SPR), 2016, are intended for healthcare providers to help patients choose a method that is safe and can be used effectively. The recommendations aim to reduce certain barriers to contraception and thus help women, men, and couples to control timing of pregnancies.