Unfortunately a very large risk factor, family history, is impossible to change. Having your name changed by deed-poll does not take away the fact that your father, an aunt and your sister have all had bypass surgery.

Another important factor in cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) disease is smoking. Overall, women who do not smoke have a lower risk than women who do. Not a lot of surprises in that.

So the menopausal woman may have the added burden of an increased risk of vascular disease as a result of her oestrogen deficiency. This is not to say that everyone will be affected, but statistically there is a significant increase in the population, particularly in women who have an early menopause.

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A spontaneous abortion is usually called a miscarriage. It happens when the uterus contracts and pushes the foetus (the baby in the womb) out before it is fully developed and can breathe by itself. Miscarriage most often happens early in a pregnancy. Often the woman may not even realise she has been pregnant. She may think that she is just having a very heavy period, which is a bit later than usual. Most miscarriages happen before 12 weeks of pregnancy. We often don’t know why it happens, but it is a natural process and about 15 percent of pregnancies end this way.

With induced abortion, there are several different procedures that are used for different stages of pregnancy. The most common procedure for early-stage abortion that is done between six and 12 weeks after the first day of your last period is called suction abortion or vacuum aspiration. It is a fairly simple procedure and is very safe. The procedure for later stage abortion takes longer and is more difficult This means there is a greater risk.

It is also possible to take medications that cause an abortion to happen. This is more common in other countries, but is only rarely done in Australia. It can only be used in very early pregnancies, under seven weeks from the first day of your last period.

If you think you might be pregnant, find out as soon as possible so that you have plenty of time to think about what you want to do. Then if you decide to have an abortion, you will be able to have the more straightforward procedure before the end

of 12 weeks.

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Breastfeeding can be 98 percent effective if each of the following three conditions apply: Firstly, you are not having periods. Secondly, you are fully breastfeeding your baby. Remember fully breastfeeding means you are not giving the baby any other foods, or bottles of milk or formula. Thirdly, it is no more than six months since your baby was born.

If 100 women used breastfeeding as their method of contraception for six months, and all those conditions applied to them, probably only two of them would have an unplanned pregnancy during that time.

By the time the baby is 12 months old, the effectiveness of breastfeeding in preventing pregnancy will have reduced to 93 percent This means that if 100 women used breastfeeding as their method of contraception during that year, by the end of 12 months seven of them would have had an unplanned pregnancy. This would happen even if they had not had a period since their baby was born and they were still fully breastfeeding.

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A. Not usually. It’s a very small injection and most people find it doesn’t hurt much at all.

Q. What if I am late going back for my next injection?

A. If it is less than two weeks from the date that you were due to have the repeat injection, you can have another injection and you should be covered against pregnancy. If it is more than two weeks after the date that you were due to have the repeat injection, and you have had sex in those two weeks, you will have to wait a while to make sure you are not pregnant

Use condoms or the minipill for two weeks from the last time you had sex, and then have a pregnancy test If the test is negative, which means you are not pregnant, you can have another injection. If the test is positive which means you are pregnant, talk to your doctor about the choices you have.

Q. If I want to become pregnant when I stop having the injections, will it be more difficult for me to get pregnant because I have been using DMPA for a long time?

A. No, it does not matter how long you have been using DMPA, it would take you the same length of time to get pregnant as it would take if you had used it only once. It is true though, that it can take quite a long time for a regular period pattern to start after you stop using DMPA Eight months to a year is not unusual.

Q. I’ve heard that DMPA can make you infertile. Is that true?

A. No. Once your periods come back your chances of pregnancy are the same as they were before you started it But because of the long delay, it probably isn’t a great choice for someone who is thinking about having a baby in the next year or two.

Q, Does DMPA increase my chances of getting breast cancer? A. DMPA was found to increase the risk of breast cancer in some of the experimental animals in which it was first tried.

There is absolutely no evidence that it increases the risk of breast cancer in women.

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To insert a cap:

It is best to have one foot up on a chair or the toilet or bath or to crouch down, or to lie down with your knees bent. Then:

1. Hold the cap in one hand with the rim facing you, and squeeze it between your thumb and first two fingers.

2. Hold your labia apart with the other hand, and slide the cap into your vagina.

3. Take your thumb away from the cap so that the cap opens up, and then ease it over your cervix.

4. When you think it is in place use your finger to feel that the cervix is under the cap, and that it is completely covered.

5. Press the centre of the cap to push out any air, which creates the suction needed to keep it in place.

6. Check that the cap is sealed firmly onto the cervix all the way around.

To remove a cap: ,

1. Push a finger under the rim of the cap and pull down gently.

This will break the suction.

2. Slide the cap out of your vagina.

You should leave the cap in place for six hour. You can leave it thoroughly and keep it in a clean container, away from heat and light If you are not having your periods, you can wear it all the rime if you want to, as long as you take it out and wash it every 24 hours.

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