For women with type 1 or 2 diabetes using hormonal contraception, the absolute risk of thromboembolism is low, a recent study found. The study used data from 2002-2011 in Clinformatics Data Mart to identify US women aged 14 to 44 years with diabetes and a prescription for a diabetic medication or device. Researchers found:

• 146,080 women with diabetes who experienced 3,012 thromboembolic events were identified.
• Only 28% of reproductive-aged women with diabetes had any claims for hormonal contraception, with the majority receiving estrogen-containing oral contraceptives.
• Rates of thromboembolism were highest among women who used the contraceptive patch (16 per 1,000 woman-years), and lowest among women who used intrauterine (6 per 1,000 women-years) and subdermal (0 per 163 women-years) contraceptives.
• Progestin-only injectable contraception was associated with increased risk of thromboembolism (12.5 per 1,000 women-years; aHR, 4.69), compared with use of intrauterine.