A 28-year-old woman with a history of ectopic pregnancy requests contraception. Which method has the LOWEST risk of ectopic pregnancy if a method failure occurs?
- A Copper-T IUD
- B Progesterone-only pills
- C Combined oral contraceptive pills ✓
- D Levonorgestrel IUS (LNG-IUS)
Correct answer: C. Combined oral contraceptive pills
Explanation
COCPs suppress ovulation and reduce the overall risk of pregnancy (including ectopic) to the lowest level among all methods. If COCP failure occurs, the absolute risk of ectopic pregnancy is very low because overall pregnancy risk is minimal. Progesterone-only methods and IUDs have a higher proportion of ectopic pregnancies among failures because they primarily affect tubal motility or implantation rather than ovulation suppression.
Reference: Contraceptive Technology, 21st ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.