CLINICAL SERVICES

FAMILY PLANNING & SEXUAL HEALTH

Contraceptive implant - Dr Kroll offers Implanon progesterone implants, which provide very reliable contraception. They are particularly suitable for people with high blood pressure, people who are likely to forget the pill, and people who don't want a coil. They last 3 years.

Contraception

Our doctors and nurses provide a full range of contraceptive services, including coil fitting, depot injections and implants.

We offer a sexual health service for both men and women. We can screen for sexually transmitted diseases in the surgery with simple non invasive tests. We are part of the national chlamydia screening programme for 16 to 24 year olds. Do consult our doctors or nurses.

Oral contraception - The most popular form of contraception is still the pill. We like to check all new patients to whom we prescribe the pill, taking a full history and measuring blood pressure. We take the opportunity to do a cervical smear and chlamydia test as appropriate. We follow up after three or six months. If the pill is well tolerated, we only need to check you every year. The nurses run a drop-in pill clinic at 8:30 every Thursday morning; otherwise, you need an appointment for a pill repeat.

Condoms - We cannot prescribe condoms on the NHS, but we do have a supply to start people off with. You can buy them from chemists or obtain them free from family planning clinics.

Coil fitting - We are fitting more and more intra-uterine devices these days, especially Mirena, the progesterone-releasing coil. Please make an appointment to discuss the coil. If you decide to have one fitted, you will need a coil fitting appointment with Dr. Kroll or Dr. Lucas and a nurse, at the appropriate time in your cycle.

Cap fitting - We can fit you with a contraceptive diaphragm, or 'cap', and teach you how to use it.

Nuva ring and Evra - we can also offer the new vaginal ring which is the equivalent of the combined pill and the contraceptive patch if other methods don't suit.

Injectable contraception - We offer three-monthly progesterone injections, which provide very reliable contraception. They are particularly suitable for people with high blood pressure, people who are likely to forget the pill, and people who don't want a coil.