Birth Control in the UK

Hello everyone,

This is a pretty personal post, but the question needs to be asked.
I'm moving to the UK (hopefully) this month or September (still awaiting an answer on my visa).

I am 26 years old, but I'm waiting until marriage to have sex. Technically I was married in June but the wedding is 13 October. We're waiting until then. (We had literally one day together as a married couple) I am also not on birth control yet.

Because of my abstinence, I've never needed or wanted to be on birth control. I do not want children and neither does my husband. That being said, once I move over there in the next few weeks I want to start looking into birth control options so we don't have any happy accidents. My periods are really regular and I've never needed birth control for any type of health reason. That being said, I do not want to fully stop my periods. I think if I miss one, I'll panic and think I'm pregnant and I do NOT want that type of anxiety messing with our future..intimacy.

The question is: How do I go about getting birth control when I move to the UK? Do I need to find a gyno, or do I just visit a walk in clinic? I know the healthcare system is much different there than in the US. I can't really afford birth control in the US anyway. I want something like Nexplanon, the implant that I put in and leave alone. Does the UK offer the same birth control options as the US? If they do, what's the cost?

I know this was suuuper personal but I've learned that this forum is the place to go for these kinds of things.

Thanks guys

This will probably be useful. It pretty much covers it all! 

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/

Oh honey...  just dive into some of our fun posts and you'll see how personal we get. 

I would suggest you get on birth control a SOLID month before you marry.  You need it in your system working for several weeks before you are safe. 

One option they really push now is the copper coil.  Hormone free and lasts up to 5 years.  You still get periods.  But you don't have to worry about taking a pill at the same time each day or if you are ill and forgetting to use a backup method.  (seriously something as simple as an upset tummy with diarrehea can cause the pill to not be effective).

I've heard that sexual health clinics are the way to go in the UK, as they typically take more time with you than a GP.  And move quicker as well.

But basically, get the BC potentially sorted now.  You may be leaving it too late if you wait until you are in the UK.  I know your husband is marking the days down on a calendar.   

Oh and no experience with the coil.  I was on the NuvaRing until we decided to have kids.  Between kids and after second on the mini pill which you can take while breastfeeding.  And now my husband has taken care of permanent birth control as our family is complete.

This will probably be useful. It pretty much covers it all! 

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/

Thank you!!!

Oh honey...  just dive into some of our fun posts and you'll see how personal we get. 

I would suggest you get on birth control a SOLID month before you marry.  You need it in your system working for several weeks before you are safe. 

One option they really push now is the copper coil.  Hormone free and lasts up to 5 years.  You still get periods.  But you don't have to worry about taking a pill at the same time each day or if you are ill and forgetting to use a backup method.  (seriously something as simple as an upset tummy with diarrehea can cause the pill to not be effective).

I've heard that sexual health clinics are the way to go in the UK, as they typically take more time with you than a GP.  And move quicker as well.

But basically, get the BC potentially sorted now.  You may be leaving it too late if you wait until you are in the UK.  I know your husband is marking the days down on a calendar.   

Oh and no experience with the coil.  I was on the NuvaRing until we decided to have kids.  Between kids and after second on the mini pill which you can take while breastfeeding.  And now my husband has taken care of permanent birth control as our family is complete.

Haha! I don't mind being personal...I just wasn't sure how personal this forum got
I've never heard of the "copper coil" Here's a fun fact about me.....I don't like tampons...nor do I like the idea of a birth control being inserted in there  I mean...I know I'll have to adjust I'm just really weird when it comes to that kind of stuff. Hence why I never even bothered with it!! And, it's kind of hard to talk to people about it when you're a 26 year old virgin and people around you lost their virginity when they were like 18. Also, not to sound like a drama queen, but I've recently lost 30 pounds (yay!) and I am TERRIFIED of gaining weight back. I know some people have had issues with birth control causing weight gain...but I also do NOT want children....
aghgh! *Screams internally*

Paraguard doesn't usually cause weight gain as it has no hormones. Nuva ring caused pretty severe side effects for me mentally but it's a lower dose of hormones so it is another option that may not cause weight gain. It would take getting used to though given your reservations with BC up there. I gained 10 lbs or so, and I was an athlete when taking oral contraceptives.

Really honest here. If you're not ready to be a momma, always use a backup method (ie condoms) because no method is 100% and I know a lot of friends with "oops" babies. I would register with a GP as soon as possible, and then try a sexual health clinic. They typically don't send you to an OB unless you're having an issue.

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Paraguard doesn't usually cause weight gain as it has no hormones. Nuva ring caused pretty severe side effects for me mentally but it's a lower dose of hormones so it is another option that may not cause weight gain. It would take getting used to though given your reservations with BC up there. I gained 10 lbs or so, and I was an athlete when taking oral contraceptives.

Really honest here. If you're not ready to be a momma, always use a backup method (ie condoms) because no method is 100% and I know a lot of friends with "oops" babies. I would register with a GP as soon as possible, and then try a sexual health clinic. They typically don't send you to an OB unless you're having an issue.

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YES thank you. I said I want BC AND CONDOMS. I don't want any accidents, and any surgeries that would prevent that permanently are a little too far fetched at the moment and something to be discussed down the line. I don't trust only one method! So you read my mind!

YES thank you. I said I want BC AND CONDOMS. I don't want any accidents, and any surgeries that would prevent that permanently are a little too far fetched at the moment and something to be discussed down the line. I don't trust only one method! So you read my mind!

There are a lot of very safe options that are not permanent I have a complex medical condition so I didn't get on with hormones well but you have options! If one doesn't work due to side effects you can try another pretty quickly.

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There are a lot of very safe options that are not permanent I have a complex medical condition so I didn't get on with hormones well but you have options! If one doesn't work due to side effects you can try another pretty quickly.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

I am very lucky because my husband said, "Hey, if we can't do anything on the wedding night then we can wait longer! It's not a big deal and we'll wait until you're comfortable. I'm not with you for sex."
Which is good cause if he was this is the wrong type of relationship and I am the wrong girl haha!
<3 <3 <3

Yup, that's why I would encourage you to start on something NOW instead of waiting any longer.  As you may find that you don't agree with the first one or two you try.  You may break out in pimples or just be an emotional wreck.   

The thing with the coil is, it's one and done.  So one insertion and no thinking about it for 5 years.  So could be a good choice.  The no hormones is pretty awesome.  That would mean no weight gain, no mood swings, no oopsies.  But it would mean a slightly invasive pelvic procedure.

You'll have to forgive me.  I've pushed two babies out.  Nothing is off topic for me anymore.  So for me, it's like, "Meh, so you gotta stick something up there."  Though I also never got on with tampons.  But the nuvaring didn't bother me in the slightest.  I was horrified with my second that they made me put my clothes back on before they would take me down to the delivery suite.  LOL!  I no longer give a damn.  (The baby was born within minutes of getting into the delivery suite by the way, that kid was coming!).  I didn't want to put clothes on.  (they don't give you gowns here).

Yup, that's why I would encourage you to start on something NOW instead of waiting any longer.  As you may find that you don't agree with the first one or two you try.  You may break out in pimples or just be an emotional wreck.   

The thing with the coil is, it's one and done.  So one insertion and no thinking about it for 5 years.  So could be a good choice.  The no hormones is pretty awesome.  That would mean no weight gain, no mood swings, no oopsies.  But it would mean a slightly invasive pelvic procedure.

You'll have to forgive me.  I've pushed two babies out.  Nothing is off topic for me anymore.  So for me, it's like, "Meh, so you gotta stick something up there."  Though I also never got on with tampons.  But the nuvaring didn't bother me in the slightest.  I was horrified with my second that they made me put my clothes back on before they would take me down to the delivery suite.  LOL!  I no longer give a damn.  (The baby was born within minutes of getting into the delivery suite by the way, that kid was coming!).  I didn't want to put clothes on.  (they don't give you gowns here).

I hate to sound so naive here, but I never realized how complicated birth control was. I never really cared. I always wanted to wait until marriage. Mood swings....that is another thing I'm worried about. I don't want my husband to have a loving wife and then godzilla shows up and messes with our relationship. As you already know from my post in Expat Life, I am already mentally preparing myself for future changes in our relationship. I don't need my hormones getting in the way further. But again...I...don't...want...babies.

Girl, my sisters both had babies. I've heard it all! haha! They don't give you a gown?!?! So you're just naked in the delivery room?!

Be aware they've taken some of those internal uterine implant thingies off the market - perforated uterus, etc. (Essure, I think it was.) The hormonal implants... I've never been keen on those because you have to have a doctor insert them in your arm, and unless you already know you're not going to have side effects, having to deal with side effects and then going back to the doctor to get the implant removed is just... ghastly, to me. 

If you're going to go on the pill, do it now. Not all pills are the same, and some might cause mild side-effects (bloating, headaches, mood distortion).  You want to try to get all that settled down before you get married so you're not dealing with being newly married and having your hormones doing a tap dance on you at the same time, and then dealing with a relocation on top of that!

You should be talking to your GP or gyn there in the States now, if you can. If you decide it's what you want to do, they might put you on a very low-dose pill and all might just be fine from the start.  But if whatever you initially start causes you troublesome side-effects that don't settle down in a couple of months, you'll have time to move to another brand/dose of pill.

If taken consistently the effectiveness rate of the pill is close to 100%. There are other methods - diaphrams, spermacides, foams, condoms.  None of those are ~always~ 100% effective used alone, but combinations of them are a good bet. I do have to say, though, that someone I know was using all four of those options one night and ended up pregnant. Ah, that 1 in 1,000 chance. Someone has to be the "1" or the statistics don't work, do they?   

Congratulations on the marriage!  I hope it's a long, happy one for you and your spouse.

Girl, my sisters both had babies. I've heard it all! haha! They don't give you a gown?!?! So you're just naked in the delivery room?!

Oh, heavens.  Sheets are there, at least! But since you've got half of you kinda propped up in a less than decorous way (in a traditional birth), and since you aren't really going to feel like caring if your bits are hanging out at the time (you'll be concentrating on other things), it's not like you're going to be feeling embarassed. Embarassed is probably the last thing that will be on your mind.

Possibly murdering the person who made you pregnant might pass through your mind. And stuff like that.    But you won't be embarassed.

This I do know about.

Hormonal pills can be great, but there are so many different kinds and dosages and since you've never taken them before you'll have no idea how your body is going to react. Gou could be one of the lucky ones  with no issues, I wish I  was... As KFDancer said you need to take them for several weeks to a  month for them to be fully effective. They also need to be taken at the same time every day to be most effective, especially a low dose pill.

As someone who hasn't had a baby, my healthcare provider suggested either nexplanon (implant in your arm, rod like a matchstick) good for two years or Mirena (a small) plastic intrauterine system that also has low dose hormones that lasts 4 years.

They would have been willing to do a copper coil, but didn't suggest it as I hadn't had a baby and my uterus wouldn't have stretched and it could give me really bad cramps and have a painful settling in period. The copper coil is good for 10 years.

This is an awesome comic that readily explains birth control options in plain English and with illustrations so you can see the various implants.
https://www.ohjoysextoy.com/tag/birth-control/


I went with Mirena, small IUS/IUD and I got it a month before I moved. It's an out patient procedure but it's no walk in the park... They suggest getting it done around your period as it's least painful then as your cervix is softer.

I had 6 months of painful settling in, would not wish it on an enemy... After that, I had no period and very rarely any cramps. It was amazing. I would put up with the settling in period again! 

This I do know about.

Hormonal pills can be great, but there are so many different kinds and dosages and since you've never taken them before you'll have no idea how your body is going to react. Gou could be one of the lucky ones  with no issues, I wish I  was... As KFDancer said you need to take them for several weeks to a  month for them to be fully effective. They also need to be taken at the same time every day to be most effective, especially a low dose pill.

As someone who hasn't had a baby, my healthcare provider suggested either nexplanon (implant in your arm, rod like a matchstick) good for two years or Mirena (a small) plastic intrauterine system that also has low dose hormones that lasts 4 years.

They would have been willing to do a copper coil, but didn't suggest it as I hadn't had a baby and my uterus wouldn't have stretched and it could give me really bad cramps and have a painful settling in period. The copper coil is good for 10 years.

This is an awesome comic that readily explains birth control options in plain English and with illustrations so you can see the various implants.
https://www.ohjoysextoy.com/tag/birth-control/


I went with Mirena, small IUS/IUD and I got it a month before I moved. It's an out patient procedure but it's no walk in the park... They suggest getting it done around your period as it's least painful then as your cervix is softer.

I had 6 months of painful settling in, would not wish it on an enemy... After that, I had no period and very rarely any cramps. It was amazing. I would put up with the settling in period again!

Eeek! It's so complicated. I just don't want babies! Damn being a woman!!