Department of Health

Website of the Department of Health

Please note that this website has a UK government access keys system.

Contraception

  • Last modified date:
    19 June 2009
Contraception

Provision of contraception is an important health care service which contributes to better maternal and child health. Contraceptives are available on the NHS without a prescription charge. The cost benefit of contraceptives is well established and has been estimated at £11 for every £1 spent [McGuire and Hughes, 1995].

Approximately 4 million people use contraception services each year. Roughly three-quarters see a GP and the remainder attend specialist community contraception services (family planning clinics). Contraception servies  are available, free of charge, to all those in need - both for men and women.

Improving access to contraceptive services and to the full range of methods is one of the key aims of the Government's White Paper - Choosing Health: making healthy choices easier.

Patient choice is paramount and both men and women requesting contraceptives should be given information about all methods, including long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) methods. This discussion should include information on the advantages, disadvantages, and relative failure rates of each method. 

Statement on Contraception and Teenage Pregnancy

The 2007 abortion data shows increases in abortions for those aged under 18. Guidance on the importance of improving access to contraception, including use of new funding, to support reductions in teenage conceptions can be accessed through the following link: 

NICE guidance on the use of Long-acting reversible contraception (LARCS)

The NICE clinical guideline on long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) offers the best-practice advice for all women of reproductive age who may wish to regulate their fertility by using LARC methods. It covers specific issues for the use of these methods during the menarche and before the menopause, and by particular groups, including women who have HIV, learning disabilities or physical disabilities, or are younger than 16 years.

NHS Contraceptive Services: England 2007-08

This bulletin contains information on NHS community contraception services which has been collected since 1988-89 on KT31 return. The coverage of the KT31 return includes services provided by:

• Trusts in NHS clinics and as domiciliary visits
• Brook services.

It does not include services provided by consultants in out-patient clinics or those provided by General Practitioners. However limited data are presented in this publication on out-patient clinics from The Information Centre’s Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) and prescription data from the Prescribing Support Unit (PSU).

Findings of the Baseline Review of Contraceptive Services in England

The Minister of State for Public Health wrote to all PCT Sexual Health Leads in January 2006 notifying them of this exercise. The National Baseline Questionnaire of Contraceptive services was a commitment outlined in the White Paper: Choosing Health. This has been the most comprehensive review of contraceptive services ever undertaken nationally.

The baseline review of contraceptive services was a voluntary collection and 246 PCTs submitted a completed return, representing an 82% response rate. Not all responders answered all questions. Input data presented refers to those PCTs who supplied a response as well as those answering specific questions.

Publication of revised guidance for health professionals on the provision of contraceptive services for under 16s

This guidance updates and replaces previous DH guidance and should be implemented by all health professionals responsible for the care of young people in any setting. Sexual Health Commissioners and Clinical Governance Leads should therefore ensure that the guidance is sent to all general practitioners and services who see young people.

More on Contraception

Access keys