Contraceptive options for women in selected circumstances.

Young women under the age of 16 years require special consideration when requesting contraception. Such young women can give voluntary consent, which enables prescription and supply providing that the practitioner has determined that the minor is sufficiently mature to understand the details of the method and its use. All reversible methods may be appropriate but it is necessary to provide information in a form that is fully understood. For women with pre-existing medical conditions including obesity, the benefits and risks of the use of individual methods needs to be weighed against the risks of pregnancy for that woman. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.