No. 313-Menstrual Suppression in Special Circumstances

To provide a Canadian consensus document for health care providers with recommendations for menstrual suppression in patients with physical and/or cognitive challenges or those who are undergoing cancer treatment in whom menstruation may have a deleterious effect on their health.

This document reviews the options available for menstrual suppression, its specific indications, contraindications, and side effects, both immediate and long-term, and the investigations and monitoring necessary throughout suppression.

Clinicians will be better informed about the options and indications for menstrual suppression in patients with cognitive and/or physical disabilities and patients undergoing chemotherapy, radiation, or other treatments for cancer.

Published literature was retrieved through searches of Medline, EMBASE, OVID, and the Cochrane Library using appropriate controlled vocabulary and key words (heavy menstrual bleeding, menstrual suppression, chemotherapy/radiation, cognitive disability, physical disability, learning disability). Results were restricted to systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, observation studies, and pilot studies. There were no language or date restrictions. Searches were updated on a regular basis and new material was incorporated into the guideline until September 2013. Grey (unpublished) literature was identified through searching websites of health technology assessment and health technology-related agencies, clinical practice guideline collections, clinical trial registries, and national and international medical specialty societies.

The quality of evidence was rated using the criteria described in the Report of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care (Table 1).

There is a need for specific guidelines on menstrual suppression in at-risk populations for health care providers.