Women's Issue... contraceptives in UK

YIKES!  I go on 12/12 to get my next jab - does this mean they're going to try to give me a pill?!  There's a VERY GOOD reason why I don't take a pill for birth control.  Actually - TWO very good reasons - ages 9 and 14!!!!  

Oh boy - it may be a very tense next few months...

Well, as a follow-up:  went to get my Depo jab yesterday and everything went swimmingly.  No mention of a shortage or pills or anything else.

On a spooky coincidence note - my next jab is due 6 March - the same day my Fiancee' Visa expires...someone is definitely trying to tell me something, I think!  

i havent heard of a depo shortage...but yikes for those who are on it.

as for your doctor saying no pill and migrane meds...well..when you walk out of the office if he refuses you...walk up to the counter and ask to see another doctor...just like that...they may make you fill in another 'doctor' form..but its worth it...or...find a womans clinic...get your pill thru them...and get your migrane meds from the doctor...if you like...call your dr from the states to see if its ok to take it with that pill...or look on the net for the med encylopedia(?)  you can find medicine interactions there

A depo shortage would explain why my local surgery had run out. I hope they get some in before my appointment, they're supposed to. :-/

Wow, contraceptives free, for real? I'm going to be a student (for more than 6 months) in England. Does that mean I'll be able to get contraceptives from the college health center? Are all forms generally covered? For example, prescriptions like the Pill as well as over-the-counter barrier methods? Thanks for any info.

I believe anyone who is in the country legally is covered by the NHS, but you will have to check that with someone who is here with that type of visa.

However, I can tell you that if you are covered by the NHS any prescription like the the pill, depo, etc are covered and are completely free.  Condoms and over-the-counter methods are not.

An update for those of us on Depo-provera.  I was told in November that my next shot (due this month) would not be available due to a shortage in the UK.  I was informed that the earliest it would be available would be March.  I called up earlier this week to see if it would in fact be available in March to be informed that there is not longer a supply problem and that depo is available again.  Needless to say, I'm getting my shot today.  I freaking hate the pill and am overjoyed that my prefferred method is once again available to me.  
wench

Does anyone else here suffer from migraines and take some form of oral or injected contraceptive here ? If so could you let me know ?

Hiya - I've had migraines since my late teens. BCP's always made them worse (More frequent) so I've been on and off them for years. After my son was born last year I decided not to use BCP's anymore and went for an IUD instead. The ones used here (Don't know about the States) have small doses of hormones which are released from the coil, but that doesn't seem to have an affect on my migraines either way. My periods are a bit heavier and cramping a bit (I emphasize bit) more, but all in all, I'd recommend it.
Also, I found in my mid-20's that, of all things!, Excedrin did the job for my migraines. My doctor put me on all kinds of wacky crap, but in the end my mom, who also suffers, told me about Excedrin and it's a wonder. Excedrin nighttime is pure magic. I still suffer "after-affects" like some weakeness the next day or a sense of general disorientation, but that's it. Oh ...you can't get Excedrin here (Maybe at Costco, though?) but I have friends send me huge jars.

Hope that helps!
Michelle

PS: Sorry, I see this is an old thread, still ...hope it helps in some way.

Well I will always sing the praises of Depo.  No where near the problems with migraines (oh and I take Nurofen for those, which works if ya catch em early enough)...and the joy the unending joy...of no period.  The only time I even spot is when I forget to take my Iron pills for a week or so (being slightly anemic).  Oh yes, I looove depo.  
wench

Kind of changing the subject a bit but I have been taking ortho try-cyclen 28 day for 10 years and it is the only one that seems to work for me. Is that available there in the UK.

anyone tried a family planning clinic..or do you all get birth control from the GP?  also what about the pap smear..i like to have one every year and i heard about the every 3-5 year thing here...do you guys go to your gp or the clinic...i actually made an appointment and they said that the nurse does it and i had to be mid cycle...sorry but since i am on the pill...i dont really keep track of my cycle except for the week of my period....so we worked it out and i am scheduled for one at the gp....going to have to get pills not sure if they have the same brand here or not...

i get mine from planned parenthood usually...

I got my bc from the gp.  I was on one brand in the US, so I took my pills in to the gp when I moved here and he found a 'comparable' brand in the UK I could get (for free, of course!)  But I never liked the new pills and after a succession of trying different types, I finally gave up altogether.  

Smears here (not Pap Smears, btw) are done every 3 years, I think.  The logic there is that anything that develops in that amount of time won't be terrible enough to worry about.  If you get an abnormal result though, I think they'll do them every year.  The nurse does these, not the gp, and with my surgery, they said to call on the first day of my periods and make an appointment for two weeks later. Simple enough really!

I believe anyone who is in the country legally is covered by the NHS, but you will have to check that with someone who is here with that type of visa.

However, I can tell you that if you are covered by the NHS any prescription like the the pill, depo, etc are covered and are completely free.  Condoms and over-the-counter methods are not.

Condoms ARE available free from Family Planning clinics. They give us 36. So they 'expect' you to have sex 12 times a month! That's official!  

Old thread, but I wanted to put in what's been happening to me.

I've had to visit my local surgery at least once a month because my quack doctor won't give me my prescription for my pill for more than a month. He does this because he thinks it's giving me high blood pressure. I know this is all bullcrap because I've been taking these almost a year and never had a problem. Last week he said he was going to take me off my pills (which would be horrible) and put me on a different kind of pill that would completely irregular me and blah blah blah. I'm competely against this so I come back the next day and ask to speak with a female doctor. She took my blood pressure 8 times and they all came up normal.

So she gave me my prescription, but I have to keep going back there for the next couple of weeks to get my blood pressure taken. I don't care, I really love these pills, especially since I've been here (they're exactly the same as back home, but for some reason I get different reactions... higher sex drive, Thank you Dr, O'Shea)

Anyways... that's what's been going on with me.

ok, this is a long one...
I had the same problem when I first went to get my pills here. The first time it was ok, the nurse just had to find a 3 cycle pill that was somewhat equivalent, like ortho-tricylen to tri-novum.  Then the next batch or pills was from the family planning clinic, which the nurse wouldn't give the pills to me due to a strong family history of heart disease, and said maybe I should consider an IUD or a progestrogen only pill (not as effective)  She said I would have to see the doctor, who was only in on Tuesdays and Thursdays...  Came back again when doctor in, discussed all above, within 5 minutes, I was back on the street (ha!) pills in my pocket.   I think it's just a matter of finding someone that shares the same opinions as you, shame they have to keep wasting our time.   Kind of like calling the US Embassy helpline