ABSTRACT
In the United Kingdom, of the 75% of women aged 16-49 years who are using some form of contraception 16% are using the combined oral contraceptive pill.1 The combined oral contraceptive pill carries a small but real risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). The incidence of VTE in healthy non-pregnant women not taking any contraceptive pill is around fi ve per 110 000 per year. The risk of VTE during pregnancy is much higher: 60 per 100 000 woman-years.9
