--- title: "Choosing contraception: what fits you? | HealthAnswers" description: "The best contraception depends on hormones, bleeding, medical history and how often you can remember it. Coils and implants do not need a daily pill." url: https://healthanswers.co.uk/treatments/choosing-contraception/ robots: noindex --- # Choosing contraception: what fits you? | HealthAnswers Treatments The best contraception depends on hormones, bleeding, medical history and how often you can remember it. Coils and implants do not need a daily pill. Written by HealthAnswers editorial team Medically reviewed by [Dr Neil Singh MBChB - nMRCGP](https://healthanswers.co.uk/our-doctors/neil-singh/) · GMC 7039648 Reviewed 13 August 2026 ## Quick answer Which contraception is best for me? The best contraception is the one you can use and that fits your health. Long-acting methods such as a coil or implant do not rely on remembering a daily pill. Combined hormonal methods are not suitable for everyone. Only condoms also reduce STI risk. A GP or sexual health clinic can help you choose. This page cannot prescribe. ## Who is this page for? This page is for people in the UK who want a plain-English overview of Choosing contraception, including when to seek help and what NHS care usually involves. It explains general information, not what is wrong with you personally. ## Who should skip this page? Skip this page if you need a diagnosis, a prescription, or emergency care. It cannot replace a GP, pharmacist, NHS 111 or 999. If you are in immediate danger, call 999; for urgent advice that is not life-threatening, call 111 in England, Scotland or Wales, or use your GP out-of-hours service in Northern Ireland. On this page 8 sections ## Key facts about choosing contraception - Long-acting methods such as a coil or implant work for years without a daily pill. - Combined hormonal contraception is not suitable for everyone, including some people with migraine aura or clot risk. - Only condoms also reduce the chance of sexually transmitted infections. - Emergency contraception is a backup, not a regular method. - A GP or sexual health clinic can check medical suitability across the UK. - You can change method if the first one does not fit your life. ## Should I use this page, or skip it? Use this page if you want a UK map of contraception choices before a GP or clinic visit. Skip it and go today if you already need [emergency contraception](https://healthanswers.co.uk/treatments/emergency-contraception/) after unprotected sex. This page cannot say which brand is safe for you or start a prescription. Call 999 for chest pain, sudden breathlessness, or collapse on combined hormones. Choosing a method is a clinic conversation; those symptoms are not. ## What should I compare besides “the pill”? Compare how often you must remember it, whether hormones are acceptable, how periods may change, privacy, medical history, and whether you also need STI protection. A method that sits in a drawer unused is not effective, however good it looks on a chart. Only condoms reduce STI transmission. Coils and implants do not. If partners change, use both a regular method and condoms, and know the [sexual health hub](https://healthanswers.co.uk/sexual-health/) exists. A method that sits unused in a drawer is not effective, however good it looked on a comparison chart. ## How do long-acting methods work? The [implant](https://healthanswers.co.uk/treatments/contraceptive-implant-and-injection/) sits under the skin of the arm and lasts for years. The copper [coil](https://healthanswers.co.uk/treatments/contraceptive-coil/) and hormonal coil sit in the womb. All can be removed if you want to stop. They are useful when a daily pill does not fit shift work, ADHD, or a chaotic month. Fitting or insertion is a clinic procedure. Cramping can happen. Screening for infection before a coil reduces early [PID](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/pelvic-inflammatory-disease/) risk. Bleeding patterns change — some people get lighter periods on a hormonal coil; a copper coil can make them heavier. ## What about pills, patch, ring and injection? The [combined pill](https://healthanswers.co.uk/treatments/contraceptive-pill/), patch and ring contain oestrogen and progestogen. They are not suitable for some people with migraine with aura, a history of clots, or who smoke over 35. Blood pressure is checked before starting. The progestogen-only pill has different missed-dose windows by brand. The injection lasts weeks to months but can delay return of fertility. User-controlled methods are flexible and easier to forget. If you have already missed pills, use the [missed pill](https://healthanswers.co.uk/treatments/missed-contraceptive-pill/) page the same day rather than guessing. Vomiting and some medicines can also reduce pill protection — a pharmacist can help you match the brand. ## How do I get started on the NHS? A GP, practice nurse or sexual health clinic can start most methods, and you do not have to see your usual GP. They will ask about migraines, clots, smoking, medicines and bleeding. Combined methods need a blood-pressure check before a first prescription. The route is the same in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: GP or clinic. Pharmacy schemes for ongoing contraception vary by area. 111 can signpost in Great Britain; Northern Ireland uses GP out-of-hours. Under-16s can get confidential care if they understand the information. ## When is it 111 or 999? Use 111 if you cannot find a clinic and need [emergency contraception](https://healthanswers.co.uk/treatments/emergency-contraception/) today — that is a clock, not a lifestyle article. For a routine method change, a booked GP or sexual health clinic is enough. Call 111 in Great Britain; Northern Ireland uses GP out-of-hours. Call 999 for chest pain, sudden shortness of breath, coughing blood, a swollen painful calf, sudden weakness, or a thunderclap headache with vision loss while on combined hormones. Those are clot or stroke questions until proven otherwise. ## Do NHS doors differ across the UK? Call 111 in England, Scotland and Wales if you need urgent advice and are not in immediate danger; Northern Ireland uses GP out-of-hours via nidirect rather than a general 111 service. Pharmacy schemes and what is free also vary by nation and local area, so ask rather than assuming last year’s rule still applies. 999 is the same emergency number everywhere. A sexual health clinic, GP or pharmacist in any UK nation can still start the right pathway even if the branding of the minor-illness scheme is different. Take a list of medicines and allergies with you. ## Who should skip this page? Skip this page if you need emergency contraception or PEP today. It is not a missed-pill calculator, not an STI screen, and not a fertility clinic. If periods are the main problem, also see [heavy periods](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/heavy-periods/) — some methods treat bleeding as well as pregnancy risk. ## ! Important safety information for choosing contraception Book a GP or sexual health clinic to start, change or stop contraception and to check medical suitability. Seek urgent help for chest pain, sudden breathlessness, coughing blood, one-sided leg swelling, sudden weakness, or a severe headache with vision changes while using combined hormonal contraception. Call **999** if those symptoms are severe or you collapse. For a missed pill after unprotected sex, get [emergency contraception](https://healthanswers.co.uk/treatments/emergency-contraception/) the same day. ## Common questions about choosing contraception What is the most effective reversible contraception? Methods that do not rely on daily remembering — the implant, hormonal coil and copper coil — are the most effective at typical use because there is less room for missed doses. Pills, patches, rings and condoms work well when used correctly but are easier to use less perfectly. A clinic can talk through removal if you want to stop. Which contraception is hormone-free? The copper coil, external and internal condoms, diaphragms, and fertility-awareness methods do not contain hormones. Effectiveness and how much attention they need differ widely. Fertility awareness is not a casual method. A copper coil can make periods heavier. A clinician can help you weigh that against avoiding hormones. Does contraception cause weight gain? Evidence varies by method. The contraceptive injection is the one most often linked with weight gain in some users. Many people notice no change on the pill. If weight is a worry, say so when you choose — it is a valid preference, not vanity. Lifestyle still matters more than most methods. Will it stop me getting pregnant later? Reversible methods do not cause long-term infertility. Fertility can return quickly after stopping the pill, or more slowly after the injection. If you have had pelvic infection in the past, mention it, because that is a separate fertility issue. Plan folic acid with a GP when you want to conceive. Do I still need condoms? Yes, with new or untested partners, because hormonal methods and coils do not protect against STIs. Condoms are the only common method that reduces both pregnancy and infection risk. If a condom fails, emergency contraception and STI testing are separate doors. Use the sexual health hub if exposure is the worry. How do I start contraception on the NHS? See a GP, practice nurse or sexual health clinic. They will ask about migraines, clots, smoking, blood pressure and medicines. You do not have to use your usual GP. Under-16s can still get confidential advice if they understand the information. Nations use the same GP and clinic routes; pharmacy schemes for ongoing methods vary. What if I keep missing pills? That is a reason to switch, not a character judgement. An implant, coil or injection removes the daily task. If you have already missed pills and had sex, follow missed-pill advice the same day and ask about emergency contraception. A pharmacist can help you match the brand. ## Sources - [NHS — Methods of contraception](https://www.nhs.uk/contraception/methods-of-contraception/) - [NHS — Emergency contraception](https://www.nhs.uk/contraception/emergency-contraception/)