Absolute contraindications

• < 6 wks postpartum 
• smoker over the age of 35 (>15 cigarettes per day)
• hypertension (systolic > 160mmHg or diastolic > 100mmHg)
• current of past histroy of venous thromboembolism (VTE)
• ischemic heart disease
• history of cerebrovascular accident
• complicated valvular heart disease (pulmonary hypertension, atrial fibrillation, histroy of subacute bacterial endocarditis)
• migraine headache with focal neurological symptoms
• breast cancer (current)
• diabetes with retinopathy/nephropathy/neuropathy
• severe cirrhosis
• liver tumour (adenoma or hepatoma)

Relative contraindications

• smoker over the age of 35 (< 15 cigarettes per day)
• adequately controlled hypertension
• hypertension (systolic 140 - 159mmHg or diastolic 90 - 99mmHg)
• migrain headache over the age of 35
• currently symptomatic gallbladder disease
• mild cirrhosis
• history of combined OCP-related cholestasis
• users of medications that may interfere with OCP metabolism

World Health Organization.  Improving access to quality care in family planning:  medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use.  2nd ed.  Geneva:  WHO;  2001.