Contraception for women with diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Women with diabetes have a higher risk of foetal abnormalities than those without. 'Glycaemic Glycaemic control early in pregnancy has a major effect on this risk. Anecdotal evidence suggests that women wishing to conceive will actively seek advice from health care professionals and strive to achieve the recommended pre-conception targets. Appropriate contraception is crucial to prevent unplanned pregnancies. We wished to know if we were providing appropriate contraception advice to our patients. A database search of 505 women of childbearing age who attend the hospital clinic revealed only 15 entries of current contraception. Patient questionnaires were distributed to 65 female patients of childbearing age (16-49 years) attending the diabetes clinic. The results identified that 16% had received no advice regarding contraception, 49% were advised by their GP, 9% from a family planning clinic, 7% from the doctor at the diabetes clinic, 9% from their practice nurse, 4% from their gynaecologist and 6% from the hospital doctor and GP. In all, 24% were using condoms only. This group of women is at a higher risk of unwanted pregnancy. In this article we suggest that contraception advice should be part of the annual review and we discuss the risks and benefits of different methods of contraception. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.