Contraception for adolescents with disabilities: taking control of periods, cycles and conditions.

The onset of puberty, periods and sexual relationships can be difficult for adolescents and parents. Adolescents with disabilities face a wide range of additional challenges (physical, mental, social and intellectual), which may impact the quality of their lives and those of their families and carers. Research on the use of contraception in young women with disabilities is limited, and clinicians have little practical guidance for best practice.

Training and supporting pharmacists to supply progestogen-only emergency contraception.

Objective: To describe and evaluate the training and support provided to the first cohort of community pharmacists to supply progestogen-only emergency contraception (POEC) under a Patient Group Direction (PGD) in Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham, London.

Design: The study comprised (a) a systematic analysis of written and oral data from pharmacists before and during training, and at 5 and 13-14 months after launch; (b) analysis of telephone calls to clinical support and (c) analysis of written pharmacy records.

Subjects: A total of 20/22 pharmacists in the first training cohort; 6/23 pharmacists who applied but were not accepted were also followed up.

Persistent vaginal bleeding in a patient with a broken Implanon.

A 29-year-old woman with an Implanon contraceptive device in situ presented with persistent and prolonged vaginal bleeding. The implant had been inserted 2 years previously; the patient had been happy with it and had been mainly amenorrhoeic with the occasional light period. She was concerned that the implant had broken during a game of 'rough and tumble' with her son in August 2000.