AIBU about the lack of NHS [contraception] services

[LondonStone]

Let me just start by saying my mum, sister, and auntie and uncle all work for the NHS in various roles. They all worked throughout the lockdown and I bloody love the NHS however...

When my contraceptive implant expired in March 2020 I decided I wanted to remove it. DH was totally on board and we are at a point that pregnancy would be welcomed but not officially trying.

I’ve been on the pill and had implants for almost half my life and really have no idea what I’m like or what my body is like without it.

I can’t get an appointment anywhere around me (London/Essex border) to remove it. I spoke to one place who told me categorically no so I tried another tactic next time and said we were trying for a baby and was told ‘we don’t recommend you becoming pregnant in the current climate’. The third place I told the truth and said ‘well it’s expired now and I really just want to remove it and see if it has any impact on my health and mental health’. I was told sorry, services are running but for emergencies only.

AIBU to think a simple 10 minute procedure on my upper arm in which we could both wear masks should really be going ahead. I know it’s not a life and death situation and I don’t want to endanger anyone in the NHS but surely things have got to resume in a sensible and safe way?

(As a side note, if anyone around London/Essex can recommend somewhere private for around £200, I will pay for it now as I just don’t know when it will happen otherwise.)

I also have terrible hair and skin and have no idea if it’s contraception-related but I would like to find out. I want to have a period again. I want to see if my mood is/was affected by contraception. Maybe it isn’t and that’s fine but I’d just like to live without it for a while.

My GP tried to get me to have a coil or implant and I said no. I’ve been using condoms with no issues since I was 17 but apparently they aren’t reliable. The GP even said “if you don’t like it we can remove it.” Sure!

I read the link posted to another thread on page one, it’s horrific that in 2020 in a developed country, women are ripping their own devices out because healthcare professionals won’t do it!

But GPs get paid per insertion.

@LondonStone the implant definitely made my skin a lot worse. All hormonal contraception has an adverse effect on me in one way or another.

The best thing I've found is the Nuvaring which is what I use now but that involved a trip into the city to the GUM clinic at a large hospital and months of trying to get an appointment.

My GP had never even heard of it!

It was a shite service before Covid so I can only imagine how crap it is now. Stupid really as contraception costs the government significantly less than a child does.

I wanted to try a coil a few years ago. Had to have swabs first then told I had to abstain from sex until the fitting - three months away. (I did eventually get an earlier appointment.) In contrast getting it removed was much easier.

Found this but it looks like it’s Birmingham and Leicester though £150

www.clarewellclinics.co.uk/services/family-planning-clinic/contraceptive-implant-removal/

I’m in a similar situation. My copper coil expired in April. I actually contacted our local Sexual Health services in March (pre-lockdown). At that point I was told there was a fairly long wait list and I’d have to go on additional contraceptive to ensure I was covered. I was a bit annoyed given I had to remember when It was due to expire (no reminders) and then that there’s a long wait. If I’d known I could have scheduled it in much further in advance.

So I was put on the wait list and given the pill which I was hesitant about from previous experience. Then lockdown happened and they stopped services for the Coil (removal and insertion) and said they’ll be back in touch when they are allowed to resume.

My experience on the pill was awful (mood swings, anxiety) and I had to stop. Now just being careful.

Not heard anything from them since April and it continues to say on their website that this service isn't available so no further forward. My GP surgery doesn’t offer these services so I’ve had to go through the local services. I’m finding it very frustrating and really let down. Especially when things like smears are being done.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/contraceptive-implant/

“The implant can be taken out if you have side effects.
You can have it removed at any time.”

Lies.

They pushed LARC on my daughter who isn't even having sex due to her religious beliefs and then told her she should have it anyway in case she was raped. Their bar for consent to these forms of contraception is below sea level.

It’s so strange how different services can be. I called my GP because we’ve been TTC for a long time last week, had a phone appointment Tuesday and have a face to face appointment for a pelvic exam tomorrow. For anonymity reasons I’m having my swabs done at the sexual health clinic instead of my GP, and even though I said it was for fertility reasons not an emergency for symptoms or risky sex I have an appointment today, having called them Tuesday. I’d try calling sexual health services outside of your area if possible.

These stories are terrible! For similar reasons to some PP have mentioned - including side effects and substandard services - I use cycle tracking plus additional measures for contraception in the main, because I could never go back to the pill or the coil. The hidden side effects of contraception are bad enough, but the lack of autonomy over our own bodies outlined here just adds a whole new level of awful. It's truly shocking.

My cousin ended up paying privately to have her Mirena coil removed, as no one would do it. Even after she threatened to remove it herself. She really couldn't afford it but she was so desperate after months of begging various GPs whilst bleeding non stop.

Tell your GP that you are withdrawing consent for treatment and they must make arrangements for removal. Contact PALS and make an official complain. This is not ok!

Virgin Care do contraception and Spire do also.

Maybe essex private doctors, they fit them so would think they also remove.

This type of thing makes me furious. Men wouldn’t put up with this shit. You need to raise merry hell. One of the reasons the health service gets away with this paternalistic misogyny is because women don’t complain! Sorry to victim blame but give them hell!

So frustrating to read but sadly not surprising! A few years ago I had a copper coil put in that caused me nothing but grief. The sexual health clinic were refusing to take it out for me and insisting I give it more time to "settle". I ended up calling back in tears saying if they didn't take it out I was going to try and pull it out myself. They were suddenly able to fit me in that day to have it removed.

I was glad to have it out but so angry it had taken threats of removing it myself for them to do it.

@EvelynBeatrice You’re absolutely right. I explained calmly and rationally to the third clinic that I’ve been on some form of contraception for almost half my life and my entire adult life and I really want to get to know my body without it and was told that isn’t really a good reason. Well, it is to me!

@EvelynBeatrice

This type of thing makes me furious. Men wouldn’t put up with this shit. You need to raise merry hell. One of the reasons the health service gets away with this paternalistic misogyny is because women don’t complain! Sorry to victim blame but give them hell!

Men would never be expected to put up with this shit. One trial of the male pill, cancelled because the men reported negative side effects.

@CleanQueen123

They're awful at taking them out. I had one put in when I was 21, within weeks I'd broken out in hideous cystic acne and asked for it to be removed.

They refused and prescribed me the pill on top of the implant to resolve my skin. That didn't work and it took a year of me arguing with them to get them to take it out.

8 years later and my skin is still awful. So bad in fact that I pick up my Roaccutane prescription on Monday.

I went on roaccutane last year. Best thing I ever did!! Good luck.

Praised be. Blessed be the fruit.

@UserABCDE12345 thank you. I'm feeling hopeful about it and fingers crossed I avoid the hideous list of side effects they give you when you ask for the prescription! It's almost as if they're trying to put you off...

I’m actually surprised they are still running abortion services and not just making women give birth.

@Funkypolar

I’m actually surprised they are still running abortion services and not just making women give birth.

Some places have been posting abortion tablets to women and telling them to crack on by themselves.

[quote CleanQueen123]@UserABCDE12345 thank you. I'm feeling hopeful about it and fingers crossed I avoid the hideous list of side effects they give you when you ask for the prescription! It's almost as if they're trying to put you off... [/quote]
It's quite a list isn't it!!

I felt I got off lightly. Dry lips ARE a guarantee and it's very uncomfortable. I also developed eczema but that's gone now I'm off it. A lot of my moles dried up as well and my greasy hair was a thing of the past (unfortunately that didn't last). But not a spot since my first month on it! I don't think I had any other side effects. Definitely no mood changes. The nurse who prescribed it said she's been doing it for 20 years and hasn't had anyone who has had mood changes. Most of her patients are teens who were hormonal anyway so moods tend to be down to that.

I'm still being asked to get a coil. I don't want one but have vaguely toyed with the idea as a treatment for endometriosis. However no progesterone only treatment agrees with me and after reading all this I'm 100% not having it. I'd rather have endo symptoms.

I had mine taken out and a new one fitted a couple of weeks ago at my normal GP surgery. There's no govt prevention on them doing it so they need to explain why they are not offering the service.

@LondonStone

I also have terrible hair and skin and have no idea if it’s contraception-related but I would like to find out. I want to have a period again. I want to see if my mood is/was affected by contraception. Maybe it isn’t and that’s fine but I’d just like to live without it for a while.

This is also important. I started taking the pill at 14 and had some kind of hormonal contraception until 22 when we started trying for my daughter, turns out I'm not mad and I do have a sex drive, it was the contraception making me loopy.