Checklist for Screening Clients Who Want to Initiate Combined Oral Contraceptives (COCs)

Family Health International, 2008

See Also:

Research findings have established that combined oral contraceptives (COCs) are safe and effective for use by most women, including those who are at risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and those living with or at risk of HIV infection. However, for women with certain medical conditions -- such as breast cancer, ischemic heart disease, or stroke -- COC use is not recommended. Therefore, women who wish to use COCs should be screened for these conditions in order to determine if they are appropriate candidates.

Family Health International (FHI) has followed the recently revised recommendations from Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use (WHO, 2004; updated 2008) to develop a simple checklist (PDF, 153 KB) for use by both clinical and non-clinical health care providers, including community health workers, to help them screen clients who have made an informed decision to use COCs. The COC Checklist consists of 17 questions designed to identify medical conditions that would prevent safe COC use or require further screening and assess whether a client may be pregnant. It also provides guidance and directions based on clients' responses.

The COC Checklist is also available in French and Spanish. To access country-adapted COC Checklists, click on the following links:

• Kenya Screening Checklists for Family Planning Services
• Uganda Screening Checklists for Family Planning Services

Training and Reference Guide

Accompanying the COC Checklist is a training and reference guide designed for program managers, administrators, trainers, and service providers interested in learning how to use the checklist to screen women who want to initiate use of COCs. Designed to serve as both a training and reference tool, the guide has two parts: a training module and a collection of essential, up-to-date reference materials on COCs.

COC Strategy Guide

This easy-to-use tool assists health workers at all levels to implement four evidence-based strategies recommended by the World Health Organization to increase the uptake and continuation of COCs.

Select printed copies of these materials are available. Click here to make an inquiry.