Bridging the mismatch between what women need and what contraceptives clinics recommend.

It is imperative that when choosing a contraceptive method, decision-making at the clinic between the doctor and the women involved has to be shared. Contraceptives from steroids to creams, jellies and even devices are readily available and within reach today. By the way, there are more than twenty (20) different methods of contraception available to women that vary substantially in the method of use, effectiveness, side effects and other features.

What a woman desires in a contraceptive method differs from what health-care providers recommend. While health-care providers like your doctors at the clinic emphasis effectiveness of the method over everything else, women think first of the safety of the contraceptive method and the possible side-effects before everything.

This mismatch has caused stress and a struggle between women and their health-care providers. Women struggle daily to chose a method that best fits their needs and preferences; health-care providers fight to make sure women who need contraception gets satisfied.

Researchers from The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice believe that what is needed is an improvement in the conversation between women and health-care providers. They need better tools to help come to a decision and such decisions should be shared when contraceptive methods should be advised.

Further reading: Women and Health Care Providers Differ On What Matters Most About Contraception.