NHS waiting lists for coil fitting causing unplanned pregnancies

[BlueKittens]

AIBU to think that the long waiting lists to fit the (Mirena) coil are causing unplanned pregnancies? Obviously sex and failed alternative contraception is a big factor too, but don’t women have the right to timely contraception provision?

I’m currently a few months pregnant after twice being unable to secure an appointment for a coil fitting at my surgery. There wasn’t even a waiting list for appointments, I was told to come back to check if any appointments were opening up for three months time- and both times was told to come back again. GP won’t put me on pill due to risk and depot caused a reaction. DH refusing vasectomy as he knows someone who suffers chronic ball ache.

Lucky for me it’s a happy little accident, but I can’t help feeling this might be quite devastating for some women.

It’s not just my surgery. Two friends at different surgeries have just told me they have had difficulties getting an appointment too. One is waiting 5 weeks for hers and the other is on a waiting list for when an appointment becomes available, has been told a 3+ month wait. The problem is with the high level of demand and the fact that only one person in each of our surgeries can fit it.

Nevermind the personal costs of unwanted pregnancies- they cost the NHS too in terms of abortions, care etc. It just seems crazy to me, but I guess it’s not a priority in the overstretched NHS.

Well said Bowl

It STILL would have needed approval to sell over the counter and this would have taken time and money.

@JacquesHammer surely for women to abstain then men must too???

@HelenaDove not as much time and money as a baby though?

Its the disconnect i find both fascinating and sinister. The ones on this thread who are happy to treat women like its still the 1950s would likely be really fucked off if women all withdrew from the workforce and expected to be "kept" by their partners a la 1950s THEN they would be falling over themselves to say "Its 2018 not the 1950s!

LARC methods like Mirena are more than 99% effective. Condoms, typical use, 82% effective. So if it's harder for women to get LARC and they're relying on condoms while waiting then yes of course there will be more unwanted pregnancies, and tutting about personal responsibility isn't going to change that.

Some of the take responsibility posters seem not to realise that the other methods of contraception you're telling people to use instead are less reliable than coils. Thus, even if every woman who's expected to wait 7 months uses an alternative form of contraception, they're still more likely to get pregnant than they would be with a timely coil fitting. And the NHS will end up paying for the abortion or the antenatal care. I appreciate that women who are able to choose not to have PIV can avoid this by choosing not to have PIV, but those of you saying use condoms etc instead should be clear that this will lead to more unplanned pregnancies than just funding family planning properly.

YABVU. Take some responsibility for your own body for goodness sake. The NHS made me get pregnant. I've heard it all now. A nation of entitled twats.

I appear to have cross posted with mirena, but yes exactly. Personal responsibility won't make perfect usage condoms as reliable as LARC. All this tutting fails to address the fact that in the meantime, we the taxpayer will have to cough up for the consequences of these delays. I'd much rather pay for someone's IUD than their abortion. Loads cheaper.

Don't trip over and fall on any cocks... problem solved.

@HelenaDove now that last statement really is off piste......

Am a bit worried by all the posters who seem to think condoms are 100% reliable and accidental pregnancies can't happen with contraception.

It's not a right, Jesus wept, people can take some self responsibility.

A nation of entitled twats.

I understand the defence of the NHS - it’s not the organisation’s fault, it’s the government for not funding family planning services properly. But I didn’t read the OPs posts that way- she clearly said she didn’t blame the NHS for her pregnancy Individuals obviously have a responsibility here, but women need decent access to reliable contraceptives which are suitable for their situation/ health. I agree pulling out this funding is short sighted as it WILL cause more unwanted pregnancies. The OP is right- the waiting lists for getting contraception in some areas will inevitably increase conceptions. Then the NHS will end up paying much more for terminations - and the country potentially will see more children taken into care. It’s incredibly short sighted public health policy.

Oops how embarrassing I was trying to quote the entitled twats bit there, not agree with it! What I was going to say is that our twats are entitled, entitled to abortions or antenatal care on the NHS if we get pregnant. Which is why all this take personal responsibility and then it won't be a problem having to wait 7 months for a coil posts are so unhelpful. Because of entitlement and twats but not in the way the poster meant it....

No its not Charlie Its simply pointing out the hypocrisy on this board Some posters are happy to treat women like its the 1950s except when they want to be SAHMS

Sorry but you can definitely avoid getting pregnant without the coil. Whether that’s alternative contraception, condoms or just not having intercourse at all. Your own problem really. Not the NHS’s fault that your partner knows someone with ball ache either so he doesn’t want to do anything on his behalf. Realistically if you don’t want to continue with this pregnancy, you have other options and if you do want to continue with this pregnancy, you’ll probably come to think it was meant to be

Helena why would you presume that anyone here gives a shite whether someone is a SAHM or 'kept woman'? This is, to say the least, a reach.

this has the whiff of journo about it. however, re the issues, I'm with Helena and Mother - yet another example of how austerity is disproportionately affecting women. Don't forget to mention in your article op about how you can only get child benefit for your eldest two children will you?

Thats what i was getting at earlier Madame. It was the OPs post as she signed off which made it seem more likely. If she is a journo quite a few played into her hands.

The problem with the nhs as they don’t take into account downstream costs as everyone has a different budget. The gp isn’t going to get any bonuses for preventing spending in the obs/gynae department. It doesn’t work like that. Same goes For the c section versus vaginal delivery argument. Normal vaginal delivery is marginally cheaper therefore pushed. Does not take into account the cost of birth injuries - which don’t always present the full cost till 20 years down the line when the women is in the menopause and has incontinance problems. By then it’s a different budget and someone else’s problem.

NICE themselves have costed the lifetime additional cost of a c section at 83 quid. Not mich is it?

It has a distinct whiff of punishing women for having sex.