Family Planning

What is family planning?

Family planning is the term used for the support and services that help you decide if and when to have children, and how many to have. It includes contraception, advice on planning a pregnancy, and care through pregnancy and after your baby is born.

What does family planning cover?

Family planning can help with:

• choosing and using contraception to prevent or delay pregnancy
• advice before you try to conceive
• antenatal care during pregnancy
• postnatal care in the weeks after your baby is born
• support if you're finding it difficult to conceive.

What are the benefits of family planning?

Family planning supports your right to decide freely how many children to have, and when. Access to contraception helps prevent unintended pregnancies and reduces the health risks that can come with them, particularly for younger women.

It can also support wider life choices, such as continuing education or staying in work.

Are there different types of contraception?

There are several types of contraception, each with a different level of effectiveness:

• options that last a long time and work reliably once in place, such as implants, coils (also known as IUDs) and sterilisation
• options you use on an ongoing basis, such as a daily pill, regular injections, a skin patch, or a small ring worn internally
• condoms, a barrier method that stands apart from the rest, since it’s the only one that also helps guard against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections
• approaches such as tracking your fertility signs or withdrawal, which carry a higher chance of failure than other methods

Alongside contraception, family planning services can also offer advice before you conceive, antenatal care and postnatal care.

How do I access family planning services?

There's no charge for contraception through the NHS, and what you discuss stays private, whatever your age, including if you're under 16. There may be rare exceptions if your doctor believes there is a risk of danger or serious harm. A sexual health clinic (sometimes called a family planning clinic), your GP surgery, or certain services aimed at young people can all give you access to it.

For some methods, such as the pill, you may be able to get what you need directly from a pharmacist, without needing an appointment with a doctor or nurse first.

If you're planning a pregnancy instead, get in touch with your GP or a midwife. You can also refer yourself directly to whichever maternity unit you'd prefer, to find out what support is on offer.

What happens during a family planning appointment?

Your doctor or nurse can talk you through which method of contraception might suit you and can prescribe contraceptive tablets or give a contraceptive injection during the appointment.

If you need emergency contraception, this can usually be sorted quickly. For methods such as a coil or implant, you may be referred to a local family planning clinic that carries out fittings.