Contraception

What is contraception?

In a nutshell, contraception reduces your risk of getting pregnant. Certain types of hormonal birth control also have the added benefit of reducing some of the uncomfortable symptoms you may get around your period, and can make your period lighter and more regular.

You can take contraception for as long as you want to. Some types of hormonal birth control are better for specific health issues or age ranges. So it’s good to check in with your clinician every now and then to make sure your birth control is still right for you.

Hormonal contraception is only available on prescription in the UK. Our clinical team will help you narrow down the best option because there are quite a few out there, and it’s not a one-size-fits-all type of deal.

What types of contraception are there?

There are four types of hormonal birth control that you take by yourself, and a few others where you’ll need a bit of guidance from a clinician or nurse before you use them.

We offer both the combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP), which contains progestin and oestrogen, and the progestogen-only pill (POP), also called the mini pill. Pills need to be taken every day at around the same time to be most effective.

We also have the patch, which is applied to the skin like a plaster and changed once a week, and the vaginal ring, which is inserted into the vagina once a month.

Other types of birth control include the depo shot, the IUD (hormonal and non-hormonal) and the implant. You can’t use those without a clinician or nurse though so we don’t offer them. There are also condoms (for both men and women) and the diaphragm, which you can get at a pharmacy or sexual health clinic. These methods also protect against STIs.

Which birth control is best?

It depends on you, really. If you like the comfort of taking something every day and knowing you’re protected, we recommend the combined pill or mini pill. If you’d like a more low-maintenance option, the weekly patch may be better. And if convenience is your thing, the monthly ring might be the way to go.

Formulations make a difference too. Some women prefer pills with a higher oestrogen dose, because it helps them with symptoms like vaginal dryness or low sex drive. Others prefer a lower oestrogen dose, because they’ll be less likely to get water retention or heavy periods.

The progestogen-only pill is good for women who can’t take oestrogen because of health factors, or who are breastfeeding.

So it’s very much a case of personal preference, and your health background. But we can talk you through all your options.

How effective is hormonal contraception?

All four of the main types of hormonal birth control (combined pill, mini pill, patch and ring) are over 99% effective when they’re used exactly right.^[1] That’s what clinicians call “perfect use”. This 99% effectiveness means that if 100 women use one of these types of birth control for one year, fewer than one will get pregnant.

“Typical” use is a bit less perfect and a lot more realistic. If you use contraception but make occasional mistakes, like forgetting a pill or putting a patch on too late, the effectiveness drops to between 91% and 94%. That means that six to nine women out of a hundred would become pregnant over the course of a year.

The best way to make sure your birth control is as effective as possible is to take it exactly as directed, which is why it’s important to find the method that works best with your lifestyle.

What does birth control do?

Hormonal birth control reduces your chances of pregnancy by changing the normal hormonal cycle in your body. It prevents ovulation, when the ovary releases an egg into your fallopian tube.

The hormones in birth control also keep the walls of your uterus from growing thicker with your cycle. When the uterine wall is thin, it’s more difficult for an egg to attach to it and grow.

The progestogen in hormonal birth control also changes the thickness of cervical fluid. This time, the hormones make it thicker. And sperm have a harder time making it through to an egg as a result.