PIP: This report updates practice guidelines for oral contraceptive (OC) selection developed by US clinicians and researchers in 1996 on the basis of clinical experience, expert opinion, and a review of the research literature. The update was necessitated by the availability of new OC formulations, increased awareness of the range of noncontraceptive benefits of OCs, and emerging evidence linking OCs to cardiovascular and breast cancer risks. To facilitate the review, available OCs are categorized on the basis of low, medium, or high androgenic activity of the progestin component. Overall, the report recommends OC use as a first-choice method unless a woman has a clear contraindication, suffers intolerable side effects despite changes in the type of progestin or dose, or has difficulty taking the tablets consistently. Tables included in this report present the estrogen and progestin doses in all OCs currently available in the US; set forth guidelines for OC selection for different categories of women (e.g., adolescent, postpartum, perimenopausal) and to minimize OC-related side effects and adverse health effects; and offer recommendations to guide the formulation selection in women with pre-existing medical conditions, menstrual disorders, and other reproductive health problems.