GPs told to use jab instead of the Pill

[Sash]

A revolution in contraception will be signalled by ministers today, with women told to consider injections and implants instead of the Pill, in an attempt to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies.

The new policy represents a significant shift away from the Pill, which heralded the sexual freedom of the 1960s and was considered one of the most important medical breakthroughs of the last century.

Doctors will be told to advise young women they should not automatically opt for oral contraceptives and instead think about using newer methods that last between three months and five years.

A national campaign will make young women and teenagers more aware of the full range of contraception methods available as evidence suggests the jab and implant are more reliable at preventing unplanned pregnancy.

A £10 million pilot scheme introducing the changes will be announced today by Dawn Primarolo, the public health minister. The Government hopes to implement it nationwide.

This will be welcomed by sexual health campaigners who say that long-term contraception methods are more reliable.

However, critics will claim it as an admission by ministers that Labour's attempt to reduce teenage pregnancies has failed.

At present, most women who ask their GPs for contraception are prescribed the Pill. Only about 14 per cent use a long-acting method such as the injection or implant, whereas 35 per cent - more than three million - use the Pill.

But more then three quarters forget to take their Pill on two or more consecutive days each month, meaning they risk falling pregnant.

Forgetting to take it is the most common reason for unwanted pregnancy cited by women seeking abortions.

Boosting the use of long-acting contraceptives was backed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) in a report two years ago which concluded that avoiding a greater proportion of unwanted pregnancies could save the NHS £100 million.

The Department of Health has estimated that if more women opted for long-acting contraceptives the number of unintended pregnancies could fall by about 73,000.

But critics will argue that access to contraceptives is already patchy and many doctors are not trained in fitting the implant or coil, so patients will have to visit sexual health clinics which are already overstretched.

A survey carried out by the All-Party Parliamentary Pro-Choice and Sexual Health Group (APPG) found that about three quarters of women were not offered all methods of contraception available.

Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary, has pushed for greater use of new technology and drugs as part of a new focus on preventative health care.

He wants the burden on the NHS to be eased by tackling the causes of problems before patients end up in hospital. Recently, he announced the vaccination for all teenagers against cervical cancer and increases in screening for breast and colon cancer.

A Department of Health source said: "The old way was to wait for health problems to arise and then deal with them. The new NHS needs to be about preventing problems arising in the first place. That is why we will see a massive transfer of NHS resources and effort over the next decade towards preventative health care."

Campaigners and family planning experts have long called for a move away from the Pill. One study suggested that if 7.7 per cent of women moved to long-term contraception, unplanned pregnancies in England could be cut by 70,000 a year. It is estimated that 400,000 pregnancies a year are unplanned.

Nice first called for wider access to all methods of contraception in October 2005, saying that savings to the NHS could be substantial and unwanted pregnancies would be reduced. But pro-life activists said the guidelines would encourage promiscuity and fuel the epidemic of sexually transmitted infections.

None of the long-lasting methods of contraception offer protection against infections and campaigners said encouraging their use would mean a further rise in diseases in Britain, which already has one of the worst records in Europe.

But the FPA, formerly the Family Planning Association, has called for more access to long-acting methods of contraception and said women should be able to choose the option that suits them best.

Ministers will face accusations of failing to get to grips with the problem of teenage pregnancies over the past 10 years. The latest statistics show it is a growing problem.

In 2006, in England and Wales, there were 201,173 abortions, compared with 186,400 in 2005 - a rise of 3.9 per cent. The abortion rate was highest, at 35 per cent per 1,000, for women aged 19.

The 2006 under-16 abortion rate was 3.9 per cent and the under-18 rate was 18.2 per cent. Both are higher than in 2005. The NHS funded 87 per cent of the abortions.

A report last October from the Commons All-Party Pro-Choice and Sexual Health Group attacked sexual health services among GPs.

It surveyed 122 primary care trusts and found that at least 70 per cent of women were offered the full range of contraceptive methods.

Trusts were not directing services towards reducing unintended pregnancies in women over 18 and services were "erratic, unco-ordinated and poorly planned."

Miss Primarolo will today attend the launch of the Association for Young People's Health, a new charity for medical professionals working with young people.

The Pill by numbers

100 million women worldwide use the Pill.

88 per cent of women on the Pill forget to take it on two or more consecutive days per month.

64 per cent of women aged 20 to 24 are using the Pill, higher than any other age group.

47 years since the Pill was introduced for married women only.

22 different brands on Pill are currently on the market in the UK.

3.7 million women in the UK are currently taking the Pill or 35 per cent of those using at least one method.

1 Pill every day for three weeks and then one week off, is how the contraception is taken.

GPs told to use jab instead of the Pill - Telegraph

[Sean]

The jab just increases the workload of health assistants and nurses.

the implants are pretty nifty, a friend of mine just had one - gives her 5 years protection and offers less side effects than most.

[dmgirl]

Tha jabs are really simple, Been having them for 6 years now and no problems. It's nice to just have them done and not worry about it for another three months. I was hopeless with the pill, There was always too much to do that I forgot to take them, I find the jabs much better and easier.

[Sash]

The jab made me very ill. At 17 I had 3 lots of the injection and thought the side effect where normal. I bled constantly for over 12 months, went down to 6 stone in weight, and was told I would never have children if I didn't come off the depo provera injection immediately, and that was after virtually having to beg to see a consultant. I have heard plenty of other stories about the injection too, and have heard lots where many women have been fine on the injection, and hopefully, as that was over 10 years ago, they have refined the injection and made the side effects less.

I think these injections and implants are a great idea and I'm sure that family history will be considered before offering these contraceptives to women. The other alternative is the coil, which I had for a few years and I thought it was pretty good too.

[Evilkitten]

I have been on the pill since I was 16 and a few times I have forgotton when I went to see about alternatives the nurse I saw just kind of blanked me. She asked if I was ok on the pill and I said I would like to try something else, maybe the injection. She said ok but then went on to say are you doing ok on the pill and which pill am I using. I answered her and she just continued to prescribe me some and sent me on my way.

It's like these doctors and nurses don't want to put the effort into preventing pregnancy. Next time I am definiately going to stand my ground and go for the implant as I do not want anymore children for a good 3 years at least O.O

[Paparika]

nice to see 2 sides of the story here.. some for depa prova but some against.

I'm against, i've had one jab last year, did what i didnt want, i'm past having children stage, i've be sterilised but, i wanted a monthly free holiday, i didnt get that, my monthly lasted 6 months, then i had nothing for another 4 months... only just getting back to normal now

[teflon]

Originally Posted by Sash

I bled constantly for over 12 months, went down to 6 stone in weight

Just as well it's all nice and safe then....

[Sash]

Originally Posted by teflon

Just as well it's all nice and safe then....

lol you're a sarcy sod

It was over 10 years ago so I'm hoping that they will have fixed whatever it was that messed my body up.