Family Planning

Managing Any ProblemsProblems Reported as Side Effects or Problems With UseMay or may not be due to the method.óóóóProblems with side effects affect women’s satisfaction and use of COCs.They deserve the provider’s attention. If the client reports side effects orproblems, listen to her concerns, give her advice, and, if appropriate, treat.Encourage her to keep taking a pill every day even if she has side effects.Missing pills can risk pregnancy and may make some side effects worse.Many side effects will subside after a few months of use. For a womanwhose side effects persist, give her a different COC formulation, ifavailable, for at least 3 months.Offer to help the client choose another method—now, if she wishes, or ifproblems cannot be overcome.1Combined Oral ContraceptivesóóóóMissed pillsSee Managing Missed Pills, p. 15.Irregular bleeding (bleeding at unexpected times that bothers the client)Reassure her that many women using COCs experience irregularbleeding. It is not harmful and usually becomes less or stops after the firstfew months of use.Other possible causes of irregular bleeding include:– Missed pills– Taking pills at different times every day– Vomiting or diarrhea– Taking anticonvulsants or rifampicin (see Starting treatment withanticonvulsants or rifampicin, p. 20)To reduce irregular bleeding:– Urge her to take a pill each day and at the same time each day.– Teach her to make up for missed pills properly, including after vomitingor diarrhea (see Managing Missed Pills, p. 15).– For modest short-term relief, she can try 800 mg ibuprofen 3 timesdaily after meals for 5 days or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatorydrug (NSAID), beginning when irregular bleeding starts. NSAIDsprovide some relief of irregular bleeding for implants, progestin-onlyinjectables, and IUDs, and they may also help for COCs.– If she has been taking the pills for more than a few months and NSAIDsdo not help, give her a different COC formulation, if available. Ask herto try the new pills for at least 3 months.Helping Continuing Users of Combined Oral Contraceptives17