Bibliographic Info
Recommendation
Recommended in favor
Conditional
Certainty of evidence
Very low
For individuals undergoing medical abortion with the combination mifepristone and misoprostol regimen or the misoprostol-only regimen who desire hormonal contraception (oral contraceptive pills, contraceptive patch, contraceptive ring, contraceptive implant or contraceptive injections), we suggest that they be given the option of starting hormonal contraception immediately after the first pill of the medical abortion regimen.
Notes and Remarks
.All individuals who can become pregnant should be provided with all of the necessary information to make an informed decision regarding the use of contraception. Immediate initiation of intramuscular (IM) depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) is associated with a slight decrease in the effectiveness of medical abortion regimens. However, immediate initiation of DMPA should still be offered as an available contraceptive method after an abortion.
- Indirect evidence was used as a basis for decision-making on initiation of hormonal contraception as an option for individuals undergoing medical abortion with misoprostol alone.
- No data were available on the use of combined hormonal contraception (pills or injections) by those undergoing medical abortion.
Also Featured In
This recommendation also appears in the following guidelines:
WHO consolidated guideline on self-care interventions for health: sexual and reproductive health and rights
WHO guideline on self-care interventions for health and well-being
Abortion care guideline
WHO guideline on self-care interventions for health and well-being, 2022 revision.
Abortion care guideline, 2nd ed