Selected practice recommendations for contraceptive use
Third edition 2016

Overview
This document is part of the process for improving the quality of care in family planning. Specifically, it is one of two evidence-based cornerstones (guidance documents) of the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) initiative to develop and implement family planning guidelines for national programmes. The first cornerstone, the Medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use (MEC, now in its fifth edition), provides thorough information and guidance on the safety of various contraceptive methods for use in the context of specific health conditions and characteristics.
This document, Selected practice recommendations for contraceptive use, third edition (SPR third edition), is the second cornerstone; it provides guidance for how to use contraceptive methods safely and effectively once they are deemed to be medically appropriate. For recommendations issued in the SPR, safety considerations include common barriers to safe, correct and consistent use of contraception and the benefits of preventing unintended or unwanted pregnancy.
Additional information
Web annex: Development of updated guidance for the third edition
Development, updates, and future directions of the World Health Organization Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use
Int J Gynecol Obstet 2017;136: 113–119 - 04 January 2017