Postpartum contraception: informed choice

The case that Dr. Suzanne Parenteau-Carreau makes for lactational amenorrhea as a method of contraception in her letter "Another advantage of breast-feeding" (Can Med Assoc J 1993; 148 364) should be considered in the broader context of informed choice in family planning. Ideally women should be able to evaluate the benefits and risks of contraceptive methods and choose the appropriate method after counselling on the widest possible range of them. The use of medroxyprogesterone acetate is another largely neglected method that should be given more attention and made more accessible in Canada. This agents value for postpartum contraception is well established. Physicians have an important role to play in the promotion of these methods in clinical practice. (full text)