If you need contraception during this time, your first port of call should be the place where you normally get contraceptive supplies – your GP surgery or sexual health clinic. You probably won’t be able to have a face to face consultation at the moment in order to keep you safe but you will still be able to get contraception.
Phone or have a look at your GP / Sexual Health Clinic’s website – you may be able to book a phone consultation online at a sexual health clinic. (Contact details are listed at the end of this document)
Don’t go in person to your GP or sexual health clinic. Give them a call.
Phone or check the website of your GP/sexual health clinic. If you have had these pills before, it is likely that a prescription can be sent to a pharmacy for you to collect. Sexual health clinics may post out pills or leave them at their reception desks for collection.
These are available from pharmacies or sexual health clinics and some GPs. You can also order them online e.g. in Lothian you can use www.ccard.org.uk/free-condoms-by-post . Call your local sexual health clinic or see their website for information on local arrangements for posting
Pharmacies, GPs and sexual health clinics all provide the emergency contraceptive pill for free. If you want an intrauterine device (also known as ‘the coil’) for emergency contraception, please phone your local sexual health clinic to discuss.
If it is more than 14 weeks since your last injection, contact your normal provider to discuss. It may be that face to face consultation for injection is not possible and you have to use condoms or a progestogen only pill until normal services resume. If you are already using Sayana Press to self-inject, a prescription or postal supplies can be arranged if you phone the service you usually attend.
Since this needs a face to face consultation, it is not possible to routinely offer this at the moment because of the risk of COVID 19. However, some forms of contraception are felt to be effective for longer than was previously recommended. It may be that your current coil is fine – check with the staff at your GP surgery or sexual health clinic. If you do need, or would like, additional contraception for the short term, they can help and advise you.
Although your GP/sexual health clinic may not be able to see you immediately face to face, they can still help you with advice so please call.
It is always important to be as healthy as possible before getting pregnant. There is general advice at www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/planning-pregnancy.
Becoming pregnant during this pandemic is a matter of choice. The Royal College of Obstetricians has specific guidance about pregnancy during the COVID pandemic
If you would like to speak to someone – please phone your GP or local sexual health clinic who will be happy to chat to you.
www.sandyford.scot (Greater Glasgow)
www.centralsexualhealth.org (Forth Valley)
www.sexualhealthtayside.org (Tayside)
www.sexualhealthfife.scot.nhs.uk (Fife)
www.lothiansexualhealth.scot (Lothian)
www.sexualhealthdg.co.uk (Dumfries and Galloway)
www.shayr.com (Ayrshire and Arran)
www.borderssexualhealth.org.uk (Borders)
http://www.highlandsexualhealth.co.uk/ (Highland)
www.ohb.scot.nhs.uk/you-health/sexual-health-and-bbv (Orkney)
Grampian – please phone 0345 3379900
Lanarkshire – 0300 303 0251 or ranoutofpills@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk