Contraception for a female athlete is chosen as for any woman, by medical eligibility and preference, with added attention to bleeding, bone health and monitoring for low energy availability.
- •The main options are combined hormonal contraception, the progestogen-only pill (POP), long-acting reversible methods including the levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) and the implant, the copper intrauterine device and the depot injection
- •They differ in their effects on bleeding and bone
- •Hormonal contraception can hide the spontaneous menstrual cycle, and amenorrhoea is only one sign of relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S)