Nurses can now prescribe an injectable contraception which can be self-administered by the female.
The licence for Sayana Press (medroxyprogesterone acetate) has been extended by the manufacturer so that healthcare professionals can now train women to administer their contraceptive care at home. Self-administration at home can result in less time and cost for travel and time off work related to clinic and GP surgery visits.
Self-administration means that nurses and GPs could prescribe up to a a year's supply of the contraceptive in one visit, which avoids the need for follow-up injection appointments. Women should be re-evaluated periodically as clinically appropriate, at least every year to determine if this is still the right contraceptive option for them.
Shelley Raine, a clinical nurse specialist in contraception and a practice nurse, said: 'I am pleased that the licence has been amended. Previously clinicians were able to advise women on self-administration, but now that the licence has been extended it make its easier to give this advice.'
Ms Raine also said that this just gives women another option when they are deciding which contraception would be best suited to them. 'For women who lead busy lives and are willing to self-administer this gives them another option. However, some will still prefer to have the nurse administer the injection for them and nurses are still able to do that.'
Sayana Press is administered via subcutaneous injection into the anterior thigh or abdomen, which makes it suitable for self-administration. Each injection prevents ovulation and provides contraception for at least 13 weeks.
It is 99% effective in preventing pregnancy if used according to the product recommendation of every 13 weeks, with no pregnancies observed at one year across 16,023 menstrual cycles of exposure in clinical trials.