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Women with diabetes are less likely to receive contraceptive counselling than other women, which may result from prescribers’ concerns over the increased baseline risk for thromboembolism in this group.
Researchers in the United States explored the risk of thromboembolism related to different types of hormonal contraception in a large population of women (n=146,080) with diabetes. They found that the lowest risk of thromboembolism was in women using an intrauterine device (IUD; 6 per 1,000 woman-years) or subdermal implant (0 per 164 woman-years). The highest risk was seen among contraceptive patch users (16 per 1,000 woman-years).
Reporting in Diabetes Care
[1]
(online, 9 November 2016), the team says the absolute risk of thromboembolism for women with diabetes who use hormonal contraception is low (<17 per 1,000 woman-years) and the IUD and subdermal implant provide “excellent options” for those who wish to avoid unplanned pregnancies.
References
[1] O’Brien SH, Kock T, Vesely SK et al. Hormonal contraception and risk of thromboembolism in women with diabetes. Diabetes Care 2016. doi: 10.2337/dc16-1534
