title: Does structured counselling influence combined hormonal contraceptive choice?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effect of structured counselling on women's contraceptive decisions and to evaluate gynaecologists' perceptions of comprehensive contraceptive counselling.
  
  
  METHODS
  Belgian women (18-40 years old) who were considering using a combined hormonal contraceptive (CHC) were counselled by their gynaecologists about available CHCs (combined oral contraceptive [COC], transdermal patch, vaginal ring), using a comprehensive leaflet. Patients and gynaecologists completed questionnaires that gathered information on the woman's pre- and post-counselling contraceptive choice, her perceptions, and the reasons behind her post-counselling decision.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The gynaecologists (N=121) enrolled 1801 eligible women. Nearly all women (94%) were able to choose a method after counselling (53%, 5%, and 27% chose the COC, the patch, and the ring, respectively). Counselling made many women (39%) select a different method: patch use increased from 3% to 5% (p<0.0001); ring use tripled (from 9% to 27%, p<0.0001). Women who were undecided before counselling most often opted for the method their gynaecologist recommended, irrespective of counselling.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Counselling allows most women to select a contraceptive method; a sizeable proportion of them decide on a method different from the one they initially had in mind. Gynaecologists? preferences influenced the contraceptive choices of women who were initially undecided regarding the method to use.
authors: Universitair Medisch Centrum St Pieter, VUB/ULB, Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Mireille
authors: M
authors: Merckx
authors: Gilbert G
authors: GG
authors: Donders
authors: Pascale
authors: P
authors: Grandjean
authors: Tine
authors: T
authors: Van de Sande
authors: Steven
authors: S
authors: Weyers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001530:Belgium; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003274:Contraceptive Devices, Female; D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined; D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal; D003376:Counseling; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D057240:Patient Preference; D011174:Portugal; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D057968:Transdermal Patch; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female; D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined; D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal