Health
Sexual health
Family Planning Clinics & the FPA
What you need to know
If you're having sex or thinking about having sex, it's important to be responsible. That means using contraception to prevent unwanted pregnancy and to avoid catching any Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).
The Family Planning Association (FPA) and your local Family Planning Clinic can give you expert information on anything sexually related, including contraception, emergency contraception (morning after pill) STIs, pregnancy and abortions. You can even get free condoms and free prescriptions for the pill from your local Family Planning Clinic.
You can always talk to your usual GP about anything to do with sex and contraception, but the great thing about Family Planning Clinics is that their doctors deal with those issues all the time, so you can get great advice and you've no need to be embarrassed.
What you can do
- Plan ahead - get free condoms and pill prescriptions from your Family Planning Clinic.
- If you have a partner, talk about contraception, maybe even go to the clinic together for advice.
- If you have unprotected sex or think your normal method of contraception might not have worked, contact the FPA or Family Planning Clinic for advice urgently. You can get emergency contraception (morning after pill) which is very effective against preventing pregnancy - although you will still be at risk of catching an STI if you've had sex without a condom.
- Talk to your friends about sex, contraception and Family Planning Clinics - they'll probably have the same queries and questions as you and need to find out more as well.
