Contraception for Women Who Receive Anticoagulant Therapy for Venous Thrombosis

For women with histories of venous thromboembolism (VTE) who require anticoagulant therapy, choosing appropriate contraception can be challenging. WHO investigators reviewed publications that addressed contraceptive use in women who received anticoagulant therapy for current VTE, those who received such therapy for other indications (e.g., prosthetic heart valves), and those with heavy menstrual bleeding associated with disorders such as von Willebrand disease. Highlights of the WHO observations and recommendations are:

• Progestin-only contraceptives do not seem to raise risk for VTE.

• Women with histories of VTE who are on anticoagulant therapy should not use estrogen-progestin contraceptives (oral, transdermal, or vaginal ring).

• The levonorges…