That sexual health services are in crisis?

[parkingarmageddon]

My dd tried to ring the sexual health clinic this morning for an appointment for a simple pill renewal and was told that the next available appointment is the middle of October at a clinic two bus rides away on the other side of the city, we live in a fairly large major city so I dread to think what it's like in smaller areas with less services. Waiting times at the gp are even longer. Aibu to think that we are letting our young people down? Surely it is more cost effective to have sufficient services in place to prevent unplanned pregnancies than to deal with the fallout?

There was a thread like this a few days ago but regarding the coil.
It's the council that funds sexual health clinics and they've has all their money cut to the bone so simply can't afford it.
Ideally, you are right, but it's just not possible at the moment with the Tories cutting everything to bare minimum.

The only available appointment was also in school time so she will have to miss a day or half a day at school if she wants to attend.

Is there not a dedicated practice nurse who could see her sooner

I feel your pain. I made an appointment at the end of July to discuss my pill that I'm sure isn't working properly.

My appointment is next Monday

All medical services are in crisis since we have in power a government that for idological reasons hates the idea of state run stuff so uses the lamest excuse (deficit) to justify beyond tolarable cuts too all services.

Despite the government borrowing more money then any none war government..

There have been a few threads like this recently.
I'm just going to mention right from the start that the NHS do not fund contraception. Neither do GPs.

I'm just going to mention right from the start that the NHS do not fund contraception. Neither do GPs

But when you’re prescribed contraception for another reason, you shouldn’t be stimied by a 9 week wait to access further discussion around that treatment.

If she just needs a renewal of the same prescription, can she get a phone appointment with the GP, and then pick the prescription up from reception? A phone call appointment might be easier to get and I've got prescription renewals that way before, don't know if its different for the pill though?

If not, are there not any walk-in GUM clinics she could go to? They're a hassle as you have to wait around for potentially quite a long time, but if she can't get an appointment, it might be best alternative?

The pill can be purchased cheaply from Superdrug for example. The nhs is over stretched. Or your daughter could just choose not to have PIV sex for a couple of weeks.

Or your daughter could just choose not to have PIV sex for a couple of weeks.

People don't just take the pill for contraception. Avoiding sex isn't going to make PMT and chronic pain any easier to deal with!

My dd had this trouble. It turned out they wanted her to have a simple blood pressure check before they would issue the prescription. After chatting with the receptionist we managed to get a prescription written up which they were happy for her to collect from reception after a quick bp check with the nurse. Might be worth a go....
I think they made dd have regular bp checks until she had been on it for over a year and then they put it on repeat prescription that she can just ring in-surgery pharmacy for.

This is a very shortsighted "money saver" as contraception is much cheaper than abortion / more babies.

I don't understand the point about not funding contraception? Does it mean the govt funds it centrally? Clearly someone is paying as certain types are free!

As for "girls and women can buy it themselves" >> access to reproductive healthcare is a major component in womens/girls health and a major global issue. Idea of pulling that in UK is interesting. To say the least.

Or your daughter could just choose not to have PIV sex for a couple of weeks

You do know there are various reasons women get prescribed the pill which don’t include having sex

" Or your daughter could just choose not to have PIV sex for a couple of weeks."

Not all relationships involve women / girls having real / any choice.

Hope this isn't the case for teh OP's daughter! But it is true.

Lots of rather shortsighted suggestions here that would negatively impact life for women and girls in the UK at a population level.

People who think that contraception (abortion? services relatign to pregnancy?) should not be free should come out and say it, and what tehy would do about the results / or nothing (don't care).

This "oh just tell her to shut her legs" stuff is horrible.

They shut our only walk in sexual health clinic and made it appointment only, why make it such a difficult system to navigate? How can teenagers sit waiting on the phone all morning trying to get a same day appointment which is the new preferred system that they want everyone to use, when they are supposed to be at school?

I know it’s not popular but how about going private? It’s pretty important and many people could afford it just are not used to thinking of it as an option.

why make it such a difficult system to navigate?

Because women don’t matter

Luckily dd rang for an appointment well in advance of her pills actually running out as she knows the system is so bad so she will be ok until the appointment, it's the vulnerable young girls who don't have anybody to advise them or turn to that concerns me. If an adult finds this system difficult then how are teenage girls supposed to navigate it?

You do know there are various reasons women get prescribed the pill which don’t include having sex
Yes I am well aware but the reference to sexual health and unplanned pregnancy were a bit of a give away.
And yes some women don’thave a choice about having sex but she is a school girl I think the op would not be prioritising the pill if that were the case.

But your general point is that it is fine that it's so hard to get appts etc as women and girls can just buy it or shut their legs, isn't it?

or have I misunderstoood?

Also can you really buy the pill from superdrug????
I didn't know that. How long has that been happening? Is it the same type of scenario as MAP?

Just googled superdrug and searched, can only see MAP.

Please @mydcaremarvel can you share info on buying the pill in superdrug? This is big news for me and I find it really interesting it hasn't been more widely discussed / known about. Thanks.

I’m in Wales, and we just turn up at the family planning clinic. I had my coil changed a few months back as my Gp surgery no longer does it. Went in waited for about an hour, then seen the doctor and had it done, was all over with in about 1 1/2 hours. If I was having the pill, it would have been a twenty minute wait.

I’m shocked at how the systems are in other areas. Our GP surgery you can easily get a same day appointment and people complain here if the have to wait a week for an appointment. I didn’t realise how lucky we were.

Re: Superdrug and the pill, I googled and found this:

onlinedoctor.superdrug.com/contraceptive-pill-start1.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIi5TSpbXY3QIVA53tCh3xeQLlEAAYASAAEgJbpfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Can DD get a repeat prescription? Our GP has a blood pressure machine in the foyer where you can take your own blood pressure and get a printout to give to the receptionists.

If she has been on the pill for a while then she may need an annual review, and yes you probably need an appointment for that.