About 11.1% to 14.4% of users ask for early implant removal because of bleeding complaints, according to US trials. Providing patients with tools and ideas to deal with prolonged or heavy bleeding episodes may decrease the frustration they may have with potential bothersome bleeding and improve satisfaction… …While it is not possible to anticipate the bleeding pattern for any particular user, reanalysis of clinical studies has revealed some general patterns… Read More…

People gain weight as they age regardless of contraceptive use because their body metabolism changes and therefore weight increases if they make no compensatory changes in nutrition and activity. Key events over the reproductive lifespan, including puberty, pregnancy, and menopause, can have significant effects on metabolism and weight. Early identification of weight gain allows for timely discussion about changes in nutrition, activity, or contraceptive method, write Megan Lawley, MD, MPH, and Carrie Cwiak, MD, MPH, in the new edition of Contraceptive Technology (CT). Providers must listen to patients’ concerns, briefly review the medical evidence about weight change and use of contraceptive methods, and assist them in weighing the pros and cons of changing methods. Read more…

Research indicates that sexual acceptability influences contraceptive use over time—perhaps more so than all other factors. A prospective study in the United States followed 100 new combined oral contraceptive users for 1 year. Among the 47% of patients who stopped using their pills over the course of the study, decreased sexual thoughts and decreased psychosexual arousal were the strongest predictors of discontinuation. In a study of over 2,000 new-start contraceptive users, sexual acceptability had the largest measured effect on continuation over time. Contraceptive user’s perceptions that…