Category Archive

New to this Contraceptive Technology website are the clinical tools for family planning providers developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Contraceptive Technology Editors hope to allow providers continued access to the evidence-based, immensely practical U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria and Selected Practice Recommendations, especially in the event that political pressures cause them to be modified or removed from the CDC website. We present them here without censorship, leaving intact their scientific integrity, respect for all patients’ needs, and promotion of patients’ open access to contraceptive methods, education, and counseling.

In providing these materials, the Editors do not suggest any CDC endorsement of the Contraceptive Technology books, website, or webinars. The recommendations are intended to serve as a source of evidence-based clinical practice guidance for health care providers and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice for individual patients.

2024 Medical Eligibility Criteria (MEC)

The 2024 U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use replaces the MEC published in, 2016. The updates include, but are not limited to, contraceptive methods that are new or newly formulated and the addition or revision of recommendations for persons with the following characteristics or medical conditions:

• chronic kidney disease
• breastfeeding
• postpartum
• postabortion
• obesity
• surgery
• deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism with or without anticoagulant therapy
• thrombophilia
• superficial venous thrombosis
• valvular heart disease
• peripartum cardiomyopathy
• systemic lupus erythematosus
• high risk for HIV infection
• cirrhosis
• liver tumor
• sickle cell disease
• solid organ transplantation
• drug interactions with antiretrovirals used for prevention or treatment of HIV infection

2024 Selected Practice Recommendations (SPR)

The 2024 U.S. Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use replaces the SPR published in 2016. Notable additions and updates include:

• medications for intrauterine device placement
• bleeding irregularities during implant use
• testosterone use and risk for pregnancy
• self-administration of injectable contraception