Contraception
There is a good range of contraception options available for women with diabetes. Women should be encouraged to visit their GP, family planning clinic or Diabetes team for advice on the most suitable option for them.
The video clip below shows some experiences of contraception advice. If having a baby isn’t on the agenda at the moment, the message couldn’t be clearer- advice on contraception is essential!
'Documentation of achievement of an optimal haemoglobin A1c prior to discontinuation of contraception' was the marker associated with the lowest rate of adverse outcome' (Pearson et al., 2007)
Remember
A woman with diabetes who is planning to become pregnant should be advised to use contraception until optimal glycaemic control (assessed by HbA1c) has been established (NICE Clinical Guidelines)
The Diabetes UK website provides a brief overview of contraception options. Find out more here!
The thing they most wanted to tell me about at this age (20 years) was to use some form of contraception, because you don’t want to get pregnant without it being planned… but they don’t say why it needs to be planned. (Spence et al., 2010)
Self-Assessment
Women with Diabetes are unable to use oral contraceptives. Is this statement True or False?
Some contraceptions can affect blood glucose and blood lipids?
If you were offering a women preconception advice, above which level of HbA1c should you advise her to continue contraception until optimal blood sugar control has been reached?