Oral contraception and adolescent women with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: risks, benefits, and implications for practice.

Healthcare providers who work with adolescents with diabetes are in an ideal position to provide education and support regarding contraceptive issues. Diabetes educators and other health professionals who counsel teens focus on other aspects of diabetes care and management but frequently do not address sexual issues or assess contraceptive practices. The purpose of this paper is to review oral contraceptive issues for teens with diabetes and to provide practice implications for health professionals who are in a favorable position to influence the quality of diabetes and general health care for these adolescents.