[What type of contraceptive method can the physician recommend?]

Contraceptives should be reliable, innocuous and compatible. With reference to their reliability (Pearl-index) they can be devided into four groups. Only the oral contraceptives can be classified as "reliable". The risk of women over 40 for myocardial infarction is only barely raised by the pill according to new data. "Relatively reliable" are intrauterine devices, the mini-pill, the temperature method and the foam ovula containing 4 p-Nonyphenoxypolyethylenglycol. Failures are ten times as frequent as with the oral contraceptives. Adnexitis caused by intrauterine devices ist seven times more frequent in nulliparae than in the average female population. Among oral contraceptives, the mini-pill is the only one without appreciable side-effects, risks, or contraindications. Grade three preventives ("medium reliability") should be used for child spacing. The fourth group of unreliable methods comprises the Knaus-Ogino method, coitus interruptus and the long-established chemical preventives.