Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use. 5th Edition

This document is one important step in a process for improving access to quality of care in family planning. The WHO Medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use, 5th edition, continues the series of periodic updates of guidance on the safety of various contraceptive methods for use in the context of specific health conditions and characteristics. The recommendations contained within this document are based on the latest clinical and epidemiological data. The intended audience for this publication includes policymakers, family planning programme managers and the scientific community. It aims to provide guidance to national family planning/reproductive health programmes in the preparation of guidelines for service delivery of contraceptives. Several tools and job aids are available from WHO and other sources to help providers use these recommendations in practice.