Family planning and

contraception
WHO medical eligibility criteria
for contraceptive use
Prof. Gunta Lazdane
gunta.lazdane@rsu.lv
3.7 by 2030 ensure universal access to
sexual and reproductive health care services,
including for family planning, information and
education, and the integration of reproductive
health into national strategies and programs
Indicators:
29. Contraceptive prevalence rate
44. Met demand for family planning
Sources:
Trends in Maternal Mortality, 1990-2013; Levels and Trends in Child Mortality, Report 2014
 Unmet need for contraception
Unmet need is especially
Women with unmet need high among:
are those who are fecund
–Adolescents
and sexually active but
are not using any method –Migrants

of contraception, and –Urban slum dwellers

report not wanting any
–Refugees
more children or wanting
to delay the next child. –Women in the postpartum
period

5 Twitter @HRPresearch
Kontracepcija
http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/Life-stages/sexual-and-reproductive-health/
publications/entre-nous/entre-nous
Avots: Entre Nous. N.79
9 Twitter @HRPresearch
 PEARL index =
the number of failures of
a contraceptive method
per 100 woman years of exposure

Number of unintended pregnancies per 100 women

using the contraceptive method per year
●https://www.zanzu.be/en/themes/family-
planning-and-pregnancy
 Diversity of LNG IUS
Name MIRENA KYLEENA FLEREE

Duration (years) 5 5 3

Total LNG amount 52 19.5 13.5

(mg)

Release of LNG per 18 µg 9.8 µg 6 µg

24 hours

Ø of the cylinder 4.4 mm 3.8 mm 3.8 mm

Colour of the treat Brown Blue Brown

 MEC

Purpose: Who can safely use

contraceptive methods, given
health conditions

Offers ≈ 2000
recommendations for 25
methods
–pre-existing medical conditions
–personal characteristics

–certain health problem

Previous editions
1996, 2000, 2004, 2009
Development of tools for counselling and
job aids
MEC Wheel
 Selected practices recommendation for
contraceptive use (SPR)
Purpose: How to safely use
contraceptive methods, once deemed to
be medically appropriate

Added new methods:

The patch

The combined vaginal ring

DMPA-SC

Sino-Implant (II)

ulipristal acetate (an ECP)

Previous editions 2001, 2004
MYTH or FACT?
WHO guidelines in Family Planning

Medical Eligibility Selected Practice

Criteria Recommendations

The Medical
Eligibility Criteria
(MEC) Wheel (new)

3rd edition in Reproductive

2016 Choices and
Family Planning
for People with
5th edition HIV (to be
updated)

Guide to family
planning for
community health
Global Handbook care providers
Decision-Making Tool
To be updated in 2017 and their clients
(to be updated)
(to be updated)
Counseling tools
WHO tools