Contraceptive advice at Salisbury District Hospital

Specialists in Contraception and Reproductive Health at Salisbury District Hospital will be holding additional clinics to fit Long Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) devices as part of a national drive to encourage women to also consider alternative forms of contraception to the pill.

The sexual health clinics will take place as normal both at the Central Health Clinic and the Department of Sexual Health at Salisbury District Hospital, with additional clinics taking place either at these venues or within GP surgeries themselves. The clinics will provide training opportunities for GPs, which will also allow these services to be more routinely available in local surgeries.

The LARC methods include the contraceptive implant, copper and hormone coils and the contraceptive injection. Although some of these methods have been used for some time, they are known to have a range of additional benefits.

Dr Deborah Lee, Associate Specialist in Reproductive Health said: "Undoubtedly the pill is still an effective, safe and useful contraceptive method for women. However, some women don’t remember to take the pill every day and also don’t find it easy to follow instructions if a pill is late or missed. LARC methods are generally easy to fit and can last between 3 to 10 years or more. They are generally quick to reverse if a woman wants to have a baby and are very effective at preventing unplanned pregnancies."

Dr Lee said: " For some women a ‘fit and forget’ method will slot more easily into a busy lifestyle and give them confidence that fertility will be under optimal control. For some methods, there will be a positive effect on the menstrual cycle, with lighter and less painful bleeding, which many women would welcome."

Tracy Daszkiewicz, Public Health Manager and Sexual Health Lead for NHS Wiltshire said: "We are delighted to work in partnership with the Salisbury contraceptive and sexual health service on this exciting initiative that will not only result in major benefits for women by offering real choice on the full range of contraceptive methods, but also provide even higher quality contraceptive care. It also fits in very well with the launch of our new Wiltshire sexual health website, due to be up and running from September of this year."

If women want to make a clinic appointment, they can do so by contacting the Contraception and Sexual Health Clinic at Salisbury District Hospital on 01722 328595. Alternatively, they can speak to their GP or practice nurse about the contraceptive methods that are available.

Notes to Editors:

1. 2010 marks the 50anniversary of the arrival of the contraceptive pill in England. Up until 1960, women had very few contraceptive options. The only contraception available, was the male condom or the diaphragm.

2. In the past 50 years many advances have been made in the field of contraception. There are now 15 methods of contraception, and these are freely available. Recent attention has focused on Long Acting Reversible Contraception, so called LARC methods. The LARC methods include the contraceptive implant, the copper coil (IUD) and the hormone coil (IUS), as well as the contraceptive injection. These methods may be more advantageous in that:

They are incredibly effective at preventing unplanned pregnancy

Once fitted you can forget about them. It's a lot easier than taking a pill every day, and they are not affected if you have sickness, diarrhoea or need to take antibiotics

They are not dangerous for your general health

They can be left in place between 3-10 years

They are generally very quick to reverse if you want to have a baby

They are suitable for women of any age, regardless of whether you have ever been pregnant or have a child

3. Nationally the NHS is trying to raise awareness of LARC methods, and encourage women of all ages, who wish to have control of their fertility to consider these methods as very realistic options.

For further information please contact:

Patrick Butler

Public Relations Manager

Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust.

Tel: 01722 425170

Page Last Updated:

08/05/2014 10:05