Recommendations for Updating Selected Practices in Contraceptive Use

This document on procedural steps for administration of selected hormonal methods and intrauterine devices (IUDs) is intended to provide guidance for persons and organizations who are developing, updating or revising family planning procedural and service guidelines. The document should not be viewed as constituting actual service delivery guidelines. It supplies updated information about specific procedural steps for the administration of combined oral contraceptives, progestin-only injectables, NORPLANT Implants, and intrauterine devices. For each recommendation, the scientific rationale is given and the supporting research is cited. These recommendations for procedures for contraceptive use have been developed to update selected procedural guidelines and to make them consistent with current clinical and epidemiological evidence. The intention underlying this document is that, by clarifying and providing the underlying scientific rationale for procedures, both access to and quality of women's reproductive health services can be improved through use of existing resources.