Among a sample of U.S. women surveyed in 1998, 24% of those using oral contraceptives were current smokers; 53% of whom smoked 15 or more cigarettes a day.
The Association of Reproductive Health Professionals issued guidelines for prescribing oral contraceptives to smokers. They suggest that the choice of oral contraceptives should be tailored to a woman's age and how much she smokes. Women over 35 years of age who smoke heavily (15 or more cigarettes a day) should be categorically denied oral contraceptives unless they quit.
Castelli WP. Reducing risk in OC users who smoke. Contemp Ob Gyn. 1996;41:118-26. |
