Contraceptive counseling for patients with breast cancer risk or a breast cancer history is one of the more nuanced conversations in oncomenopause practice — and the evidence base is more complex than a simple hormones-yes or hormones-no framework. In this session, Dr. Abigail Liberty draws on her specialized expertise at the intersection of complex family planning and breast health to deliver a rigorous, evidence-informed review of contraception and breast cancer risk. She will examine the hormonal mechanisms by which different contraceptive formulations interact with breast tissue, review what the current data shows on risk stratification across contraceptive methods for patients with varying breast cancer risk profiles, and address the practical clinical questions that arise when counseling patients with BRCA variants, a personal history, or ongoing oncologic treatment. A session designed to move clinicians beyond avoidance and toward evidence-based, individualized contraceptive care for their highest-risk patients.

Abigail Liberty, MD, MSPH, is an Assistant Professor in Complex Family Planning and Women's Health Research in Reproduction Fellow in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Oregon Health & Science University, where she practices at the OHSU Center for Women's Health. She earned her MD and MSPH from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed both her OB/GYN residency and Complex Family Planning fellowship at OHSU. Dr. Liberty's clinical and research focus sits at the intersection of contraception and breast health — including the role of androgenic progestins in mammary tissue, progesterone receptor modulators in breast physiology and cancer prevention, and contraceptive access for patients facing cancer diagnoses. Her peer-reviewed work includes publications on progesterone receptor modulators in breast biology and cancer prevention, and she serves as Principal Investigator on active research at OHSU's Center for Women's Health.