Shawnee Cuthbert

NUR 320
Contraception Case Study
Joyce is a 45 year old woman who has an appointment in the local health
department family planning clinic. She is seeking information about which type of
contraception would be best for her at this time in her life. Joyce smokes a pack of
cigarettes per day and has been having irregular menses.
1. Is there sufficient evidence to draw conclusions about what response the nurse
should give?
No, there is not sufficient evidence. The nurse should perform a more thorough
assessment on Joyce before the nurse should draw conclusions. The following assessment
data should be obtained:
Frequency of coitus

Number of sexual partners

Level of comfort in touching self or cervical mucus.
Religious or cultural factors
Menstrual, contraceptive, and obstetric history
Physical and pelvic exam
Laboratory testing
(Lowdermilk, Perry, Cashion, & Alden, 2012, p. 171).

2. Describe underlying assumptions the nurse needs to know about the following
issues:
a. Personal considerations for choosing a birth control method
Personal considerations that the nurse needs to know for choosing birth control
include:

Religion

Level of comfort in touching self or cervical mucus.

Motivation to prevent pregnancy
Understanding of how to use different methods
Adherence and consistent use of contraceptive method
Length of desired contraception use

Frequency of intercourse
(Lowdermilk, Perry, Cashion, & Alden, 2012, p. 170).
b. Appropriate methods of contraception for perimenopausal women
Appropriate methods of contraception for perimenopausal women includes:

oral contraceptives

barrier contraceptives
depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) injection
implantable progestins
sterilization

(Lowdermilk, Perry, Cashion, & Alden, 2012, p. 181).

References
Lowdermilk, D., Perry, S., Cashion, K., & Alden, K.R. (2012). Maternity &
womens healthcare. (10th edition). Mosby/Elsevier: Missouri