Expand your contraception prescribing horizons

I see a large number of adolescent gynecology patients in the office. I enjoy working with young women and giving them positive experiences during their initial exams.  Many of these women in their teens and early twenties want to initiate birth control, or at least discuss their contraceptive options. 

Most young women expect that they will be put on “the pill,” a combination of hormonal oral contraceptives. For many, the pill is a great and effective option. “The shot,” medroxyprogesterone acetate injectable suspension (Depo-Provera, Pfizer), is another commonly requested method, especially among women who know that they will have difficulty remembering to take a daily pill or cannot take estrogen.

Both the pill and the shot are excellent methods of birth control for adolescents, but patients are rarely aware of the other options available to them — specifically long-acting reversible contraception.