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General sexual health

Your sexual health

Pregnancy choices (keeping the baby, abortion and adoption)

Pregnant and don't know what to do? 

Abortion: your questions answered


Contraception

A quick guide to all contraceptive methods

Your guide to contraception (Information about all contraceptive methods)

Your guide to contraceptive choices – after you’ve had your baby (a helpful look at using contraception after you've given birth)

Emergency contraception

If you have had unprotected sex, that is, sex without using contraception, or think your contraception might have failed, you can use emergency contraception.

Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC)

Methods that do not depend on you remembering to take or use them. There are four LARC methods, injections, the implant, IUD and IUS.

Your guide to long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) (a useful summary)

The contraceptive implant

Contraceptive injections

The IUD

The IUS

Hormonal methods

Contain estrogen and progestogen or progestogen alone. These methods are contraceptive injections, the implant, IUS, contraceptive patch, contraceptive vaginal ring, combined pill and progestogen-only pill.

The combined pill

The progestogen-only pill

The contraceptive patch

The contraceptive vaginal ring

Barrier methods

Prevent the sperm from meeting an egg.

Male and female condoms

Diaphragms and caps

Permanent methods

Male and female sterilisation are permanent methods of contraception, suitable for people who are sure they never want children or do not want more children.

Natural family planning

Natural family planning allows a woman to closely monitor the fertile and infertile times of her menstrual cycle so that she can have sex when there is no risk of pregnancy.

Understanding your body

Find out about the male and female reproductive systems, the menstrual cycle and what’s involved in conception.


Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

Chlamydia

Genital herpes

Genital warts

Gonorrhoea

HIV

Non-specific urethritis  

Pubic lice and scabies

Syphilis

Trichomonas vaginalis

Thrush and Bacterial vaginosis


Oral sex

Oral sex: looking after your sexual health

Planning a pregnancy

Planning a pregnancy

This website can only give you basic information about sexual health. The information is based on the evidence and medical opinion available at the time this information was written. Different people may give you different advice on certain points. All methods of contraception come with a Patient Information Leaflet which provides detailed information about the method. Remember – contact your doctor, practice nurse or a contraception clinic if you are worried or unsure about anything.




FPA helpline England
0845 122 8690

 

9am to 6pm,Monday to Friday. 

FPA helpline Northern Ireland
0845 122 8687


9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday

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