Contraception

Teenage Pregnancy Key Facts

• Britain has the highest teenage pregnancy rates in Europe.
• The majority of these pregnancies are completely unexpected, despite the fact that most girls know that sex can lead to pregnancy.
• The vast majority of young people have sex before seeking contraception or advice. A study by the Teenage Pregnancy Unit found that 50% of under 16 year olds used no contraception at first sex. Reasons for this include: embarrassment to access services for contraception, not being aware of the right to confidentiality in accessing services and reluctance to talk about or negotiate condom use with a partner.

Avoiding an unintended or unplanned pregnancy – Contraception facts

There are different contraceptive methods available, and different methods suit different people at different times of their lives...

Contraceptive methods that stop a pregnancy by changing hormone levels in the female body include the combined pill, the progestogen-only pill, IUS, implants and injectable contraceptive. The combined pill contains two hormones – oestrogen and progestogen – which stop ovulation. The other methods listed above contain progestogen, which thickens cervical mucus to prevent sperm meeting an egg or an egg settling in the womb and can also prevent ovulation.

Contraceptive methods that stop sperm reaching the egg are called barrier methods and include the condom, the female condom, the IUD, and the diaphragm or cap.

The only contraception to offer protection against both Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and pregnancy is the CONDOM.

Health professionals often recommend using 2 methods of contraception such as the pill and a condom, to ensure protection against pregnancy and STIs, this is sometimes referred to as the ‘double dutch’ method.

JUST FOR THE RECORD… These statements are ALL TRUE:

• You can get pregnant the first time you have sex
• You can get pregnant from having sex standing up
• Weeing after sex will NOT stop you from getting pregnant
• You can get pregnant if you don’t have an orgasm
• You can get pregnant whatever sex position you do!

Effectiveness of Contraception methods

How effective a contraceptive method is depends on how old someone is, how often they have sex and whether they follow the instructions properly.

If 100 sexually active women don’t use any contraception, 80 – 90 of them will become pregnant in a year.

One in 4 girls will get pregnant in the first month of having unprotected sex.

Many teenagers don’t inform themselves about contraception because they don’t want to admit to anyone, even themselves, that they’re interested in having sex. Others would be comfortable using it, but don’t because they are afraid of their parents finding out.

The Different Methods

Click here to view/download a pdf table of the different methods of contraception

Where can you get free information and advice about contraception?

From a doctor, family planning clinic, or sexual health clinic.

You can get free information and advice at any age and many clinics run sessions especially for young people.

You do not have to see a doctor; nurses can give advice and condoms. Also you can let the staff know if you would prefer to be seen by a female doctor.

You do not need your parent’s permission to get sexual health advice and information from a doctor. However, doctors will where possible encourage you to involve a family member who can support you.

If you are under 16 and having sex you are still entitled to the same confidential service as anyone else and doctors, nurses and other health professionals are still bound by their confidentiality policies. This means that information would only be passed on if the doctor was concerned that you were in danger or that someone close to you was in danger. A doctor can refuse to give contraception to a young person who is under 16 but it is unlikely that they would. If this did happen you could visit another doctor, family planning clinic or young people’s clinic.

Doctors have to follow guidelines when working with under 16 year olds, for more information (see Fraser Guidelines).

Emergency Contraception

If you have sex without using contraception or you think your method might have failed (e.g a split condom) there are two emergency methods you can use:

• The emergency pill (sometimes called the 'm,orning after pill') – must be taken within three days (72hours) after sex. It is more effective the earlier it is taken after the unprotected sex.
• An IUD –must be fitted within five days after sex to work.

Click here to visit the Emergency Contraception section of the site.

Some final tips:

• Get to know your body and understand how sexual reproductive systems work!
• Get contraception sorted out BEFORE you start having sex.
• Being clued up on contraception is a great start; even if you’re not ready for sex yet, preparing yourself for the future is a good idea.
• You should be confident about the choices available to you and have absolutely no reason for finding yourself any of the excuses for not using contraception, so be assertive and get what you want!

Condoms || Contraception || Emergency Contraception || Girls' Stuff || Boys' Stuff || Pregnancy & Pregnancy Options || Sexual Orientation || STIs || Accessing Services