A Pocket Guide to Managing Contraception, by Anita Nelson et al. is a valuable resource for the pocket of any clinician. Tiny in size yet rich with information, it offers a multitude of bulleted facts while providing a comprehensive overview of the medical management of patient's contraception and related needs.
The book is divided into three major sections. The first section, entitled "Family Planning Essentials," deals with topics from menstrual cycle basics to pregnancy termination, including both essential facts and guidelines for clinicians. One chapter, entitled "Taking a Sexual History," initially appeared superfluous for any clinician who has ever interviewed a patient. Upon closer inspection it unvealed a great deal of insightful suggestions, including a practical list of questions for use in interviews. While this chapter is not something to which a clinician would refer during a patient visit, it contains thoughtful information that would be valuable in practice.
The second section, entitled, "Contraceptive Options," would be considered the meat of the book. It is a comprehensive list of contraception options including some unexpected options such as lactation, abstinence, and natural family planning. It provides information on effectiveness, mechanism of action, cost, advantages, disadvantages, complications, candidates for use, and patient teaching for each option. The facts are bulleted, making them easy to access at a glance during a patient visit. A highlight of this section is color photographs of all major emergency contraception and oral contraception products, including information on hormones and hormone levels for each product.
The third section of the book contains the CDC guidelines for sexually transmitted infections. It lists easy-to-use information and treatment regimes for a complete list of infections.
While the complete text of the book can be downloaded from the web site for free, the convenience of the pocket-sized book is worth the small charge of $10.
If you are interested in purchasing this book, go to the Bridging the Gap Foundation online bookstore!
