Case Study: Birth Control

|You are assigned to work in the local office of a birth control clinic. You are instructed to work with a nurse who is teaching Ms. J about|
|the use of combination oral contraceptives. Ms. J, who is 20 years old, travels frequently in her position as a computer analyst. She tells|
|you that her menstrual periods are regular and 28 days apart and that her last period started on January 30. The date today is February 2. |
|At the end of the talk, Ms. J tells you that she has a seizure disorder. She says, “I didn’t want to tell that doctor that I have a seizure|
|disorder. People treat me different when I tell them that. I take pills on a regular basis, and I haven’t had a seizure in years. I don’t |
|want anyone to know about it, especially my boss. I love my job, and I want to keep it.” |

1. When should Ms. J start the oral contraceptives?

Mrs. J should start to take the oral contraceptives either the first or fifth day of your menstrual period or on the first Sunday after or on which bleeding begins. Your doctor will also tell you whether you need to use another method of birth control during the first 7 to 9 days that you take your oral contraceptive and will help you choose a method.

2. What information about Ms. J’s job should you note as an area of special concern?

I would note her frequent travel as a special concern mainly for the fact that she has seizure disorder.

3. Should you be concerned that Ms. J takes anti-seizure medications? How should you respond to this information?

I wouldn’t be entirely concerned that she is taking anti-seizure medications but would inform her that anti-seizure medications are contraindicated during pregnancy because of its effect on the fetus. So if by chance she became pregnant to stop the