AIBU to go and get contraception during lockdown

[shutupsteph]

Hi all

Currently 11 weeks postpartum. I asked my doctor about getting the coil at my last appointment but she told me the GPs at my practise weren't currently fitting them so to go to a walk in clinic. A few days later we went on lockdown so I decided not to go. Fast forward a few weeks and a broken condom later I've found myself in the middle of a pregnancy scare. We're sure we don't want any more children but we don't want to go down the 'permanent' routes just yet which is why I wanted the copper coil.

Basically all I don't know if going to a walk in clinic at the moment is a reasonable/sensible thing to do? Has anyone beento a clinic during lockdown? Are they even offering contraception?

Yes they are and yes you absolutely should. It’s an essential trip.

Definitely an essential trip.

I’d definitely Be making phone calls to find out! I can’t see any health care provider wanting people to risk unwanted pregnancy. Hope you get sorted

Contraception is essential medication/treatment.

I think you’re going to find it difficult to find a clinic that is still open to contraception appointments sadly. I’ve been thinking along similar lines - my implant expires this year and there were already serious issues in my area regarding finding an appointment to get it done; even before all this happened. It’s going to be bloody impossible now.

I’d definitely ring round to see if they’re even still offering contraception appointments, you don’t want to risk a wasted journey.

Ah, cross posted. Glad to hear clinics are still offering non-emergency contraception!

Thanks all. Just been on my clinics website (the only one in the area) and if says

The sexual health service is running a limited appointment-only service by telephone until further notice.

So not sure if they are offering in-person appointments by the sounds of it. I'll give them a call

You might end up with a pill instead as that wouldnt need a face to face appointment

So they're cancelling all procedures and face to face appointments for the next three months including fitting the coil, implants and pill consultations so my only option is use the Superdrug or Lloyd's Pharmacy services and get the pill! Annoying but needs must, I just feel for the people who can't pay for the pills privately

What contraception did you use before? Could you ask your GP to issue a prescription for the pill in the short term, then you wouldn't have to pay for it...

I buy the pill from Superdrug and they deliver to my door. Annoying to pay for something that should be free but I find it hard to get appointments. I also find GPs won't prescribe Yasmin (one told me it is too expensive.)

If your happy to compromise with the oral pill or mini pill and have taken it before the NHS are delivery free.

I got 3 months of my mini pill within 72 hours

sh24.org.uk/contraception/order

For the next three months. Wow.

I’m a practice nurse and we’re offering telephone consultations for the contraceptive pill. You shouldn’t need to buy it. The FSRH guidelines are it can be issued from a telephone consultation.

We are not offering coil fits, implant insertions or new depo injections.

The GP is still working even if their doors are closed. Have you tried to call them back and ask for a telephone consultation for contraception?

Is it because they cant take blood pressure? They'd normally do that for the combined pill. Or is that not a requirement at the moment? @Sidge

@dementedpixie checking BP isn’t essential where there is no previous hypertension or risk factors. Ideal normally, but not essential in this current situation. We are issuing it and asking either women to check it themselves if they have access to a home monitor or doing it ASAP once lockdown is lifted. The risk of a cardiovascular event is generally lower than the risk of pregnancy.

If issuing the POP it’s even less essential, and 11 weeks postpartum if the OP was breastfeeding she’d be offered the POP anyway. If not breastfeeding she could have either.

Women should not be automatically denied access to hormonal contraception due to the pandemic, but need to accept their options may be limited. It would be shortsighted of the OP to go straight to Boots or Superdrug for a private prescription without actually speaking to someone at her surgery.

I’ve done it with online dr through Lloyd’s pharmacy, really easy process

I have also recently had a baby, and I can't take hormonal contraception, so need a copper coil fitted. GPS can't fit them here, and all the sexual health clinics are closed.

I find it pretty poor that I am unable to get contraception for months. This is not an area of health care that should be being restricted, IMO, I think it's really shortsighted and quite dismissive of women's health care needs.

@pearpickingporky shortsighted? We are currently in the middle of an acute onset public health crisis and you think stopping a risky procedure is “shortsighted”?

If you truly can’t use any hormonal methods of contraception then your options are condoms or a copper coil. As coils are not being fitted then condoms it will have to be.

I appreciate it’s frustrating, I appreciate it’s really not ideal but it’s not being done on a whim!

If i were you, id just be using condoms for the next few months rather than flooding your system with hormones while it's still resettling from pregnancy...

Im always shocked that no one mentions condoms on these types of threads!

Xpost with sidge, sorry!

shortsighted? We are currently in the middle of an acute onset public health crisis and you think stopping a risky procedure is “shortsighted”?

Yes, because the last thing we need during a pandemic is unplanned and unwanted pregnancies. It's not an aspect of health care that they should have stopped.

Jesus that’s REALLY bad! The repercussions of this on abused women is going to be terrible

It’s REALLY essential this service continues!

@PearPickingPorky i think you have an unrealistic expectation of what the NHS is capable of at the moment. If it's bad enough to stop cancer treatment, then contraception can certainly wait too.

After all, in all but the most tragic of cases, preventing unwanted pregnancy is simply a case of keeping your knees together. We're in a global crisis and the NHS is running a reduced service in order to save as many people as possible. If you can't get hold of the pill or the coil, keep your knickers on. Emergency contraception is still available.