Contraception is a way of stopping yourself from becoming pregnant if you don’t want to become pregnant and you are having sex. There are lots of different options available and sometimes people need to try different things to find what is right for them.
Contraception is free for everyone in the UK. Only condoms can protect you from pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Some types of contraception work better than others.
Find out about different types of contraception:
- The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive: Contraceptive Methods
- Brook: Contraception Guide – the methods and how to get them
- Brook: Contraception: FAQs and Myth-busters
- British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS): Sexual health videos with BSL
Yuno provides sexual health services in the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire area: contraception information. ‘
You can access a range of contraception from a Yuno sexual health clinic or from your GP. Some local pharmacies provide an oral contraception service. To find a pharmacy offering the service, see the NHS website.
Free Condoms
If you are under the age of 25, you can order free condoms through the Yuno website, or collect free condoms from the Yuno condom distribution scheme venues. Free condoms for people of all ages can be collected at any in person Yuno sexual health clinic.
Emergency Contraception
Emergency contraception can be used after unprotected sex (no condom or contraception used, or a contraceptive failure) to prevent pregnancy. There are two types of emergency contraception.
The emergency contraceptive pill is freely available from your GP, a Yuno sexual health clinic and an urgent treatment centre (use NHS 111 to find your nearest centre). Most pharmacies will also sell the emergency contraception pill – Find emergency contraception – NHS.
For women aged under 25, the emergency contraceptive pill is available for free from some pharmacies or from the Yuno website where it can be ordered for free. The non-hormonal copper coil is the most effective form of emergency contraception. You can have this fitted at a Yuno sexual health clinic or you can contact your GP to ask if they can fit an emergency copper coil.
More information:
- NHS: Contraception
- Brook: Choosing the Best contraception for me (quiz)
- NHS: Emergency contraception
- Signhealth UK (BSL): Emergency contraception (video)
- Yuno: Emergency contraceptive pill
- The Low Down: Reviews from Women on their conditions, medicines and side effects to help each other make health decisions
- Talk Contraception: – Support for talking with your healthcare professional about your choices
- NHS: Fitting the coil (IUD/IUS)
- The Lowdown: Do I Need To Give My Body A Break From Contraception? (blog by a Dr)
- The Lowdown: Can The Pill Affect Who You’re Attracted to? (blog by a Dr)
Contraception and hormones:
- The Lowdown: Do I Need To Give My Body A Break From Contraception? (blog by a Dr)
- The Lowdown: Can The Pill Affect Who You’re Attracted to? (blog by a Dr)
- Brook: Contraception: FAQs and Myth-busters
Resources in other languages:
- Sandyford Sexual Health Services (Scotland): Information in community languages
- Sandyford Sexual Health Services: Do I Need To Give My Body A Break From Contraception?
