How old do I have to be before I can get the pill?
There is no fixed age - a Doctor will prescribe the pill if he/she thinks the person is at risk of pregnancy.  With very young girls the doctor has to be sure that the person understands the need for contraception and what it does before he/she will prescribe it.

If I see the Doctor about contraception will my parents find out?
No - If the Doctor prescribes contraception this remains confidential between him/her and the patient so there is no requirement to tell parents.

Is all contraception 100% safe?
If by "safe" you mean how effective is it at preventing pregnancy take a look at the list below. 

Contraceptive Effectiveness:
Condoms: 97%
The Pill: 99%
The Shot (Injected contraception): 100%

As you can see the only truly effective form of contraception is the shot but even the pill and condoms are very effective.  When we say the pill is 99% effective this means that if 100 women take the pill 1 of them will get pregnant.

These figures are based on correct use of the contraceptive - In the case of the pill this means taking them exactly as instructed.  With condoms it means putting them on and using them correctly. 

As condoms can be easily misused they are often only around 65% effective so it is important to be careful when using them.

If on the other hand "safe" means protecting you against sexually transmitted infections the only form of contraception that does this is the condom.

What is the shot?
The shot is an injected contraception which needs to be given once every 12 weeks.  The shot starts working immediately although you are normally advised to carry on using condoms for a couple of days just to make sure you are protected.  The main advantage of the shot is that you only have to remember to take it once every 12 weeks.  The down side is that it's effects can't be reversed so if you suffer any side effects you just have to put up with them for the remainder of the 12 weeks.

What happens if I forget my pill?
What to do depends on the type of pill:

Combined pill
If you realise that you forget to take your contraceptive pill and it is less than 12 hours you just need to take pill straight away and you will still be protected against pregnancy. 

If you are more than 12 hours late in taking one pill or more:
Take the last missed pill straight away but leave the other missed pills. Take the other pills as usual. Also use a condom for the next 7 days.

If there are 7 or more pills left in your pack after the missed or delayed pills: when you have finished the pack, leave the usual 7-day break before starting the next pack.

If there are less than 7 pills left in the pack after the missed or delayed pills: when you have finished the pack, start the next pack the next day without a break.

If you have missed two or more pills and they were all from the first seven in your pack and if you have had unprotected sexual intercourse since the end of your last pack go to your Doctor or Sexual Health Clinic as you may need emergency contraception.

Progestogen-only pill
If you are using a progestogen-only pill and you miss one out or are more than three hours late go to your Doctor or Sexual Health Clinic as you may need emergency contraception.

Does the pill still work if I am sick?
If you are ill and suffer severe vomiting and/or diarrhea the protection given by the your pills may be reduced.  If this happens you should use an additional form of contraception until the packet of pills you are on is finished (A good additional form of contraception would be to use condoms).

How long do I need to wait for the pill to start working?
As there are a wide variety of contraceptive pills around you should really ask the person who provided your particular pills if there is something you want to know about them but with most pills you need to take a full cycle before they are giving you full protection.  Which means you need to use condoms as well for the first full cycle.

Where can I get contraception?
You can get contraception free from the following:

Your Doctor
Sexual Health Clinics
Family Planning Clinics
You can find out where your nearest sexual health clinic is by clicking here.

In Cambridgeshire youth workers can also give out condoms for education and emergency use.

How soon do you have to take the morning after pill?
The term "morning after pill" is really a bit misleading as the emergency contraceptive pill can be taken up to 72 hours (3 days) after having unprotected sex (the earlier you take emergency contraception the better the chance of success).

Even if you are outside the 72 hour period it is worth going to your Doctor or Sexual Health Clinic for emergency contraception because there are alternatives to the pill that can still be effective even after 5 days.

How many times you can take emergency contraception?
There is no limit to the number of times you can take emergency contraception but you find you need it often you should talk to your Doctor or Sexual Health Clinic about providing you with a more regular form of contraception.

Will withdrawal prevent a pregnancy?
It is often thought that taking the penis out of the vagina just before ejaculation will prevent pregnancy but this is false because the penis may have sperm on the tip even before ejaculation.

If you are on the pill do you still need to use condoms?
The pill is 99% effective so most people who take it feel that it offers them enough protection against pregnancy.  However 99% means that if 100 women are on the pill 1 of them will fall pregnant, so, if you want to lower the risk even more you can use condoms as well as the pill which together will be virtually 100% effective.

However don't forget ....... pregnancy isn't the only risk when having sexual intercourse ..... You are also at risk from sexually transmitted infections.  The passing on of sexually transmitted infections can be prevented by proper use of condoms, so it is important to use condoms as well as the pill until you can be absolutely sure that neither partner has a sexually transmitted infection.

What should I do if a condom splits?
If a condom splits the penis and the condom should be withdrawn from the vagina immediately and emergency contraception should be taken as soon as possible - but no later than 72hrs after the event.

Are you are less likely to get pregnant if you have sex standing up?
This is a myth and if you have unprotected sex (without using contraception) you are just as likely to pregnant standing up as in any other position.

Is it true you can't get pregnant the first time?
No - You definitely can get pregnant the first time ...... and any other time that you have unprotected sex.  In fact you are more likely to get pregnant the first time even if you use a condom because you are less experienced and more likely to get it wrong.