Quick Reference Chart for the WHO Medical Eligibility Criteria For Contraceptive Use — to initiate and continue use of combined oral contraceptives, DMPA, implants, and copper IUDs

The World Health Organization (WHO) develops detailed criteria that health care workers can follow to determine which contraceptive methods are medically suitable for their clients. These criteria are based on the most current scientific knowledge about the effectiveness, risks, and benefits of various family planning methods, and they can help providers guide their clients in making safe and informed decisions. The WHO recently revised the criteria in response to recommendations made by an expert working group who met in Geneva, Switzerland, in April 2008.

FHI has created a quick reference guide, in the form of a chart, that summarizes the WHO's medical eligibility criteria for combined oral contraceptives, the injectable contraceptive depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), progestin-only implants, and copper IUDs. Unlike previous versions of the MEC Quick Reference Chart, the 2009 version includes a complete list of all conditions that the WHO classifies as Category 3 (usually not recommended) and Category 4 (should not be used).

This document is also available in Spanish and in French.

Source: Adapted from Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use. Geneva: World Health Organization. Third edition, 2004; updated 2008.