Hello and welcome to the zero to finals podcast. My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be

going through the basics of contraception. And you can find written notes on this topic at

zero to finals.com slash contraception or in the contraception section of the zero to finals obstetrics and gynecology book.

So let's get straight into it.

There are many methods of contraception you need to be familiar with.

It's a common task in OSCI exams to counsel a patient about the different options.

This involves discussing the different options, their suitability, including assessing for

contraindications and risks, the effectiveness of different options, the mechanisms of action,

and the instruction on use.

It's worth noting that all forms of contraception are available free

in the UK on the NHS. Let's go through a basic list of the methods of contraception.

The key contraceptive methods available are natural family planning or the rhythm method, barrier methods, for example, condoms,

combined contraceptive pills, progesterone-only pills, coils, for example the copper coil or the

myrina coil, the progestogen injection, the progestogen implant and surgery, for example

sterilization or vasectomy. Emergency contraception is also available after unprotected intercourse.

However, emergency contraception should not be relied upon as a regular

method of contraception. Let's talk about the UK medical eligibility criteria.

The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, or FSRH, has UK Medical Eligibility Criteria, or UK MEC.

And these are guidelines published in 2016 and updated in 2019 to categorise the risks of starting

different methods of contraception in different individuals.

There are four levels, from least risk to the most risk.

UKmec 1 is when there's no restriction in use and there's minimal risk of using that method of

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