Isla has an appointment with her Healthcare Provider to discuss her concerns about her risk for cardiovascular disease and to see what contraception options are suitable for her.
Please click through the slides below to see the conversation between Isla and her healthcare provider.
When you find a term that you don’t know, please use the HEARTe Glossary for more information and explanation.
Healthcare provider: ”Hello, Isla. Nice to see you today. Your appointment note says that you’re here today to discuss your cardiovascular risk given your family history and also explore contraception options. Is this correct?’’
Isla: ”Yes, that’s right. Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about my dad passing away at 52 from a heart attack and my mum who had a stroke 3 years ago at 60 years old. I am now my mum’s carer and I look after my 2 young kids as well. I’ve been anxious thinking about the possibility of having a heart attack or stroke and what would happen to my family if I did. I’d like to see what I can do to reduce my risk of something like that happening.
Healthcare provider: ‘’Thank you for letting me know. I want to reassure you it is normal to have those thoughts and feelings given your family history. We can talk about this further and we can also gather some more information to see what action may be appropriate. Regarding contraception, can you please tell me a bit more about this as well?’’
Isla: ‘’Thank you, I appreciate that. I recently started seeing someone and we do not want to get pregnant right now, but I may change my mind in the future. We have been using condoms, but I would like to discuss other options. I also don’t want to take the pill (oral contraceptive pill or OCP) because I’ve been on this before but kept forgetting to take it. I’ve also heard stories that the pill can cause blood clots. Can we talk about what contraception options would be best for me?’’
Healthcare provider: ‘’Absolutely, there are many options available, and we can work together to find one that will be suitable for you. Next steps are for us to gather some more information about your health. We can then discuss if any action needs to be taken to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease as well as what contraception options are suitable for you.’’
