Contraception
Most individuals will wish to avoid pregnancy for some part of their reproductive years. A variety of hormonal and nonhormonal contraceptive methods are available, which have different characteristics related to systemic effects, bleeding patterns, and effort required on the user’s part. The goal of contraceptive counseling is to identify a method that is safe and compatible with the individual’s preferences. Clinicians may often be able to help patients initiate contraception on the day of the initial office visit. They should remain available and supportive to patients who wish to switch methods and provide comprehensive counseling for all available contraceptive methods as well as emergency contraception options. This review contains 8 figures, 6 tables and 47 references. Key words: birth control, contraception, emergency contraception, Essure, hysteroscopy, interval, laparoscopy, microinserts, postpartum, salpingectomy, sterilization