The human costs of unintended pregnancy—abortion and parenting under difficult circumstances—are high. For this reason, all physicians who treat female patients should be knowledgeable about the basics of contraception—both its practical uses and its public health impact. This knowledge will make physicians, including internists, better able to counsel and provide contraceptives for individual patients and to advocate for availability and access. This article discusses the problem and determinants of unintended pregnancy and reviews contraceptive methods.
aDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, MSC 08 4700, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
bDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, MSC 10 5580, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, USA
cDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
ABSTRACT