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Carolyn Westhoff runs a large federally funded family planning clinic at Columbia University.
"I see a lot of patients," says Westhoff, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and public health. "As many great contraceptives that we do have, we're always interested in something new."
Westhoff and her patients have a lot to be interested in these days. In just the past few months -- after a few years in which no new contraceptives entered the market -- the Food and Drug Administration gave final approval to an implantable birth control device and a new birth control pill.
The FDA also issued an "approvable letter" to the maker of another new pill, which means the agency plans to approve it as soon as the company answers some remaining questions. In addition, last fall the FDA approved a labeling change for one of the two intrauterine devices -- or IUDs -- on the U.S. market, expanding the pool of women who are candidates for the method.
Westhoff says her role is to make sure patients are as informed as possible about their growing number of contraceptive choices. "I don't want to talk any woman into a particular method unless I see some particular medical issue in her situation that's relevant."
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