CONTRACEPTIVE CARE OF THE OLDER PATIENT – DESIRE FOR PREGNANCY? (INTRODUCTION)
Some women suddenly have a last minute desire for a pregnancy. They may have felt their family was complete, but sensed that their options were still open. Suddenly it seems that they are 40 and it is now or never. They may just stop their contraceptive method without medical advice. If they become pregnant and they continue to want the baby then that is fine and they present at the antenatal clinic. Other women present with side-effects regarding their method of contraception or come asking to stop it saying that they are thinking of having a baby. For others the decision may not be fully conscious and they may ask for a change to a less reliable method, for instance, from the combined oral contraceptive to the sheath, without realizing why they wish to do so. Even if they do understand what they want, they may be uncomfortable about sharing their wish with a doctor whom they imagine to have a disapproving attitude to the idea of a pregnancy later in life.
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