Children by Choice, Last modified on: 22 May 2017
Contraceptive use is often compromised for women living with violence.
Contraceptive options that are safe and appropriate for one woman may not work for another. If you’re working with women experiencing violence, it’s important to explore each woman’s unique circumstances and draw on her own knowledge to assess the degree of comfort and safety with her contraceptive options.
Important factors to consider include whether the perpetrator is likely to:
- Monitor the woman’s Medicare or prescription records through her MyGov account;
- Restrict or monitor access to health care professionals;
- Monitor menstruation and fertility patterns;
- Engage in severe physical assaults;
- Be actively searching for the use of contraceptive drugs or devices; and/or
- Engage in rape and other forms of sexual assault.
This guide is not intended to replace a full medical consultation with a professional, but does provide a starting point for thinking further about which contraceptive options might be safest and most appropriate given an individual patient’s or client’s circumstances.