VIDEO: Expert roundtable explores 50 years of contraception

WASHINGTON – What has the increased access to contraception over the last 50 years meant for American women?

We asked Ob.Gyn. News editorial advisory board member Dr. Eve Espey, professor and chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, along with three experts in family planning, to explore how expanded contraception options have affected public health, what barriers still remain, and what new products are in the pipeline.

Perhaps the biggest impact for women has been the ability to participate in the workforce, and that includes women entering medical school.

“Over the last 50 years, we’ve seen a big increase in the number of women who are professionals, who are physicians,” Dr. Espey said during the roundtable. “And during that same period of time, we’ve seen the growth of more focus on family planning.”

“I think that really would not be possible without the ability to control our fertility,” said Dr. Sarah W. Prager, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology and director of the Ryan Family Planning Program at the University of Washington, Seattle.

And the widespread availability of contraception has translated into a decrease in maternal mortality as a result of fewer unintended pregnancies. “The implications for public health – for women and children in this country – is huge,” Dr. Prager said.

LARCs

One of the big shifts in contraceptive trends has been the slow but increasing uptake of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), such as IUDs and implants. After a drop-off in the 1970s following safety problems with the Dalkon Shield, there has been a resurgence in interest.

In the last decade, the rate of LARC use has grown from about 2% to 10%, corresponding to a slight drop in rates of unintended pregnancy, said Dr. Nikki B. Zite, professor and residency program director in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

The Contraceptive CHOICE Project, which enrolled more than 9,000 women who were provided with the no-cost reversible contraceptive method of their choice, found that about three-quarters of the women chose an IUD or an implant, which was associated with significant reductions in unintended and teen pregnancies.

“What we saw was that when we removed barriers to contraception in general, that uptake of IUDs and implants really went up,” said Dr. Tessa Madden, director of the division of family planning and associate professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Washington University, St. Louis.

There is no “best” contraceptive method, Dr. Madden said. “Contraception really needs to be tailored to the individual woman [ensuring] that her values and preferences about contraception are taken into consideration during counseling, to help her choose the method that’s going to be the best fit for her.”

Resources

There are resources available to aid in tailoring contraception methods to the needs of patients.

U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use, guidance that is available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, allows physicians to tailor the method to a patient’s comorbid medical conditions, Dr. Zite said. Physicians can search by contraceptive method or patient characteristic to determine the risk for a given patient, rated on a scale of 1-4 (where 1 or 2 means generally safe, 3 means that the risks may outweigh the benefits, and 4 means that the risks clearly outweigh the benefits).

“It’s a really easy starting-off point to use with patients and physicians when trying to decide what contraceptive method is safe for their patient,” Dr. Zite said.

Common medical comorbidities, including obesity, diabetes, thyroid disease, and hypertension, are all addressed in the medical eligibility criteria.

Another resource is the U.S. Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use, which can help in deciding when it is appropriate to start a contraceptive method, what exams and tests are needed before initiation, what follow-up is needed, and how to handle problems such as missed pills or potential side effects.

Barriers

Over the years, many of the barriers to contraceptive access have been reduced. Some forms of emergency contraception are now available over the counter to women of all ages; more states are considering laws allowing women to access up to a year’s supply of hormonal contraceptives at one time; and a few states have passed laws allowing pharmacists to prescribe hormonal birth control directly. In addition, the Affordable Care Act’s mandate for insurers to cover approved methods of contraception without cost sharing has eliminated some cost barriers.

But other systems barriers still remain, such as making women return for multiple visits for the insertion of an IUD or implant, or limiting LARC use only to women who have already had a child. “There’s not a reason to avoid use of IUDs in women that have not had babies but there are still providers out there who will not insert an IUD, so we need to still do a better job to increase access even more,” Dr. Zite said.

Future trends

What new contraceptive options are in the pipeline? Dr. Prager predicted more development in the area of longer-acting injectables and implants, potentially even biodegradable implants. Also likely is the development of nonsurgical sterilization methods for women that eliminate some of the risk and cost barriers. And male contraceptive methods are in the works, both hormonal and nonhormonal, Dr. Prager said.

There’s an increasing interested in nonhormonal longer-acting methods, beyond just the copper IUD, Dr. Madden said, and there are new products on the horizon in that area. Researchers are exploring new methods to protect against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, while offering contraception, Dr. Zite said.

Dr. Espey reported having no relevant financial disclosures. Dr. Prager is an unpaid trainer for Nexplanon (Merck). Dr. Zite is an unpaid trainer for Nexplanon and serves on an international IUD advisory board for Bayer. Dr. Madden serves on a scientific advisory board for Bayer and on a data safety monitoring board for phase IV safety studies of Bayer contraceptive products.

Throughout 2016, Ob.Gyn. News is celebrating its 50th anniversary with exclusive articles looking at the evolution of the specialty, including the history of infertility treatment, changes in gynecologic surgery, and the transformation of the well-woman visit. Look for these articles and more special features in the pages of Ob.Gyn. News and online at obgynnews.com.

mschneider@frontlinemedcom.com

On Twitter @maryellenny

WASHINGTON – What has the increased access to contraception over the last 50 years meant for American women?

We asked Ob.Gyn. News editorial advisory board member Dr. Eve Espey, professor and chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, along with three experts in family planning, to explore how expanded contraception options have affected public health, what barriers still remain, and what new products are in the pipeline.

Perhaps the biggest impact for women has been the ability to participate in the workforce, and that includes women entering medical school.

“Over the last 50 years, we’ve seen a big increase in the number of women who are professionals, who are physicians,” Dr. Espey said during the roundtable. “And during that same period of time, we’ve seen the growth of more focus on family planning.”

“I think that really would not be possible without the ability to control our fertility,” said Dr. Sarah W. Prager, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology and director of the Ryan Family Planning Program at the University of Washington, Seattle.

And the widespread availability of contraception has translated into a decrease in maternal mortality as a result of fewer unintended pregnancies. “The implications for public health – for women and children in this country – is huge,” Dr. Prager said.

LARCs

One of the big shifts in contraceptive trends has been the slow but increasing uptake of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), such as IUDs and implants. After a drop-off in the 1970s following safety problems with the Dalkon Shield, there has been a resurgence in interest.

In the last decade, the rate of LARC use has grown from about 2% to 10%, corresponding to a slight drop in rates of unintended pregnancy, said Dr. Nikki B. Zite, professor and residency program director in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

The Contraceptive CHOICE Project, which enrolled more than 9,000 women who were provided with the no-cost reversible contraceptive method of their choice, found that about three-quarters of the women chose an IUD or an implant, which was associated with significant reductions in unintended and teen pregnancies.

“What we saw was that when we removed barriers to contraception in general, that uptake of IUDs and implants really went up,” said Dr. Tessa Madden, director of the division of family planning and associate professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Washington University, St. Louis.

There is no “best” contraceptive method, Dr. Madden said. “Contraception really needs to be tailored to the individual woman [ensuring] that her values and preferences about contraception are taken into consideration during counseling, to help her choose the method that’s going to be the best fit for her.”

Resources

There are resources available to aid in tailoring contraception methods to the needs of patients.

U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use, guidance that is available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, allows physicians to tailor the method to a patient’s comorbid medical conditions, Dr. Zite said. Physicians can search by contraceptive method or patient characteristic to determine the risk for a given patient, rated on a scale of 1-4 (where 1 or 2 means generally safe, 3 means that the risks may outweigh the benefits, and 4 means that the risks clearly outweigh the benefits).

“It’s a really easy starting-off point to use with patients and physicians when trying to decide what contraceptive method is safe for their patient,” Dr. Zite said.

Common medical comorbidities, including obesity, diabetes, thyroid disease, and hypertension, are all addressed in the medical eligibility criteria.

Another resource is the U.S. Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use, which can help in deciding when it is appropriate to start a contraceptive method, what exams and tests are needed before initiation, what follow-up is needed, and how to handle problems such as missed pills or potential side effects.

Barriers

Over the years, many of the barriers to contraceptive access have been reduced. Some forms of emergency contraception are now available over the counter to women of all ages; more states are considering laws allowing women to access up to a year’s supply of hormonal contraceptives at one time; and a few states have passed laws allowing pharmacists to prescribe hormonal birth control directly. In addition, the Affordable Care Act’s mandate for insurers to cover approved methods of contraception without cost sharing has eliminated some cost barriers.

But other systems barriers still remain, such as making women return for multiple visits for the insertion of an IUD or implant, or limiting LARC use only to women who have already had a child. “There’s not a reason to avoid use of IUDs in women that have not had babies but there are still providers out there who will not insert an IUD, so we need to still do a better job to increase access even more,” Dr. Zite said.

Future trends

What new contraceptive options are in the pipeline? Dr. Prager predicted more development in the area of longer-acting injectables and implants, potentially even biodegradable implants. Also likely is the development of nonsurgical sterilization methods for women that eliminate some of the risk and cost barriers. And male contraceptive methods are in the works, both hormonal and nonhormonal, Dr. Prager said.

There’s an increasing interested in nonhormonal longer-acting methods, beyond just the copper IUD, Dr. Madden said, and there are new products on the horizon in that area. Researchers are exploring new methods to protect against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, while offering contraception, Dr. Zite said.

Dr. Espey reported having no relevant financial disclosures. Dr. Prager is an unpaid trainer for Nexplanon (Merck). Dr. Zite is an unpaid trainer for Nexplanon and serves on an international IUD advisory board for Bayer. Dr. Madden serves on a scientific advisory board for Bayer and on a data safety monitoring board for phase IV safety studies of Bayer contraceptive products.

Throughout 2016, Ob.Gyn. News is celebrating its 50th anniversary with exclusive articles looking at the evolution of the specialty, including the history of infertility treatment, changes in gynecologic surgery, and the transformation of the well-woman visit. Look for these articles and more special features in the pages of Ob.Gyn. News and online at obgynnews.com.

mschneider@frontlinemedcom.com

On Twitter @maryellenny

WASHINGTON – What has the increased access to contraception over the last 50 years meant for American women?

We asked Ob.Gyn. News editorial advisory board member Dr. Eve Espey, professor and chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, along with three experts in family planning, to explore how expanded contraception options have affected public health, what barriers still remain, and what new products are in the pipeline.

Perhaps the biggest impact for women has been the ability to participate in the workforce, and that includes women entering medical school.

“Over the last 50 years, we’ve seen a big increase in the number of women who are professionals, who are physicians,” Dr. Espey said during the roundtable. “And during that same period of time, we’ve seen the growth of more focus on family planning.”

“I think that really would not be possible without the ability to control our fertility,” said Dr. Sarah W. Prager, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology and director of the Ryan Family Planning Program at the University of Washington, Seattle.

And the widespread availability of contraception has translated into a decrease in maternal mortality as a result of fewer unintended pregnancies. “The implications for public health – for women and children in this country – is huge,” Dr. Prager said.

LARCs

One of the big shifts in contraceptive trends has been the slow but increasing uptake of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), such as IUDs and implants. After a drop-off in the 1970s following safety problems with the Dalkon Shield, there has been a resurgence in interest.

In the last decade, the rate of LARC use has grown from about 2% to 10%, corresponding to a slight drop in rates of unintended pregnancy, said Dr. Nikki B. Zite, professor and residency program director in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

The Contraceptive CHOICE Project, which enrolled more than 9,000 women who were provided with the no-cost reversible contraceptive method of their choice, found that about three-quarters of the women chose an IUD or an implant, which was associated with significant reductions in unintended and teen pregnancies.

“What we saw was that when we removed barriers to contraception in general, that uptake of IUDs and implants really went up,” said Dr. Tessa Madden, director of the division of family planning and associate professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Washington University, St. Louis.

There is no “best” contraceptive method, Dr. Madden said. “Contraception really needs to be tailored to the individual woman [ensuring] that her values and preferences about contraception are taken into consideration during counseling, to help her choose the method that’s going to be the best fit for her.”

Resources

There are resources available to aid in tailoring contraception methods to the needs of patients.

U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use, guidance that is available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, allows physicians to tailor the method to a patient’s comorbid medical conditions, Dr. Zite said. Physicians can search by contraceptive method or patient characteristic to determine the risk for a given patient, rated on a scale of 1-4 (where 1 or 2 means generally safe, 3 means that the risks may outweigh the benefits, and 4 means that the risks clearly outweigh the benefits).

“It’s a really easy starting-off point to use with patients and physicians when trying to decide what contraceptive method is safe for their patient,” Dr. Zite said.

Common medical comorbidities, including obesity, diabetes, thyroid disease, and hypertension, are all addressed in the medical eligibility criteria.

Another resource is the U.S. Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use, which can help in deciding when it is appropriate to start a contraceptive method, what exams and tests are needed before initiation, what follow-up is needed, and how to handle problems such as missed pills or potential side effects.

Barriers

Over the years, many of the barriers to contraceptive access have been reduced. Some forms of emergency contraception are now available over the counter to women of all ages; more states are considering laws allowing women to access up to a year’s supply of hormonal contraceptives at one time; and a few states have passed laws allowing pharmacists to prescribe hormonal birth control directly. In addition, the Affordable Care Act’s mandate for insurers to cover approved methods of contraception without cost sharing has eliminated some cost barriers.

But other systems barriers still remain, such as making women return for multiple visits for the insertion of an IUD or implant, or limiting LARC use only to women who have already had a child. “There’s not a reason to avoid use of IUDs in women that have not had babies but there are still providers out there who will not insert an IUD, so we need to still do a better job to increase access even more,” Dr. Zite said.

Future trends

What new contraceptive options are in the pipeline? Dr. Prager predicted more development in the area of longer-acting injectables and implants, potentially even biodegradable implants. Also likely is the development of nonsurgical sterilization methods for women that eliminate some of the risk and cost barriers. And male contraceptive methods are in the works, both hormonal and nonhormonal, Dr. Prager said.

There’s an increasing interested in nonhormonal longer-acting methods, beyond just the copper IUD, Dr. Madden said, and there are new products on the horizon in that area. Researchers are exploring new methods to protect against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, while offering contraception, Dr. Zite said.

Dr. Espey reported having no relevant financial disclosures. Dr. Prager is an unpaid trainer for Nexplanon (Merck). Dr. Zite is an unpaid trainer for Nexplanon and serves on an international IUD advisory board for Bayer. Dr. Madden serves on a scientific advisory board for Bayer and on a data safety monitoring board for phase IV safety studies of Bayer contraceptive products.

Throughout 2016, Ob.Gyn. News is celebrating its 50th anniversary with exclusive articles looking at the evolution of the specialty, including the history of infertility treatment, changes in gynecologic surgery, and the transformation of the well-woman visit. Look for these articles and more special features in the pages of Ob.Gyn. News and online at obgynnews.com.

mschneider@frontlinemedcom.com

On Twitter @maryellenny