Sexual and reproductive health services in London had fewer appointments to discuss contraception options last year, new figures show.
By Clara Margotin, Data Reporter
Sexual and reproductive health services in London had fewer appointments to discuss contraception options last year, new figures show.
It follows the trend across England where the overall number of contraception-related contacts fell by 9%.
Sexual health experts warned there is a “postcode lottery” in access to contraception services across the country.
New figures published by NHS England show sexual and reproductive health services in London recorded 223,850 contraception-related contacts in 2024-25, down 15% from 264,705 the previous year.
All figures are rounded to the nearest five.
Meanwhile across England these services recorded a 9% fall, from about 1.07 million in 2023-24 to nearly 976,000 last year.
However this change was not felt the same everywhere. While the East of England recorded a 20% drop, followed by the North East with a 19% decrease, the North West and Yorkshire and The Humber were the only two regions where the number increased, by 2% and 5% respectively.
The NHS England figures also show the contraceptive pill remained the most popular type of contraception for sexual and reproductive health service users.
Some 31% of women using the services for contraception were taking the pill last year, up from 28% in 2023-24.
While it remained below the 39% observed in 2020-21, experts said this could result from progesterone-only pills becoming available to purchase at pharmacies without prescription from July 2021.
In London, 31% of women in contact with sexual and reproductive health services for contraception had the pill as their main contraception method.
Meanwhile long-acting reversible contraceptives such as the implant and IU system were taken by 51% of women in contact with services for contraception last year, a slight drop from 54% in 2023-24.
However, the uptake varied greatly across regions. While it reached 63% in Yorkshire and The Humber, the figure stood at 47% in London.
Dr Zara Haider, president of the College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, said the figures were “deeply concerning”.
“What is particularly worrying are the stark regional variations in access, with some areas seeing significantly lower provision of long-acting reversible contraception compared to others,” she said.
“This postcode lottery has real consequences for people’s ability to choose the method that’s right for them.”
She said online misinformation about contraception was also deterring people from seeking help.
She also warned the statistics “only tell part of the story” and should be treated with caution as contraception is also provided at general practices and increasingly through pharmacies.
Bekki Burbidge, information specialist at the Family Planning Association, said: “Years of underfunding means that women often struggle to access convenient appointments and their preferred contraception method.
“Specialist services are often the only place to get the most effective long-acting methods such as the implant and IUD – and there can be a long wait for an appointment.”
She added the “huge variation” in long-acting reversible contraception uptake “needs addressing”, warning it is “essential” for everyone to get “clear information about the advantages and disadvantages of each method of contraception”.
The Department of Health and Social Care was contacted for comment.
