Edinburgh

United Kingdom / Scotland / Edinburgh

OVERVIEW

Contraception (Birth Control)

General Note: There are many types of contraceptives, also known as "birth control," including IUDs, oral contraceptives, patches, shots, and condoms, etc. If you would like to view a full list, click here.

Laws & Social Stigmas

In Scotland, you need a prescription to most birth control methods. If you're under 16 years old, you can get birth control without your parents being informed as long as the health professional (doctor, nurse or pharmacist) believes that you fully understand your decisions and the information that you're being given. According to NHS Scotland, "Doctors and nurses work under strict guidelines when dealing with people under 16. They'll encourage you to consider telling your parents, but they won't make you. The only time that a doctor or nurse might want to tell someone else is if they believe you're at risk of harm, such as abuse. The risk would need to be serious, and they would usually discuss this with you first.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• If you want condoms, you can easily get them in markets, pharmacies, etc.
• If you want birth control pills, you'll first need to get a prescription. Once you have a prescription, you can get them from most GP surgeries, community contraception clinics, some genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics, sexual health clinics and some young people's services (call the NHS Scotland Sexual Health Line on 0800 22 44 88 for more information).
• If you're interested in the contraceptive shot, there are three types that are available in the UK: Depo-Provera (the most popular and lasts for 12 weeks), Sayana Press (lasts for 13 weeks) and Noristerat (lasts eight weeks). You can get it from most GP surgeries, community contraception clinics, some genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics, sexual health clinics and some young people's services (call the NHS Scotland Sexual Health Line on 0800 22 44 88 for more information).
• If you're interested in the contraceptive implant, according to NHS Scotland, "In the UK, Nexplanon is the main contraceptive implant currently in use. Implants inserted before October 2010 were called Implanon. Since October 2010, insertion of Implanon has decreased as stocks are used up, and Nexplanon has become the most commonly used implant." You can get it from most GP surgeries, community contraception clinics, some genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics, sexual health clinics and some young people's services (call the NHS Scotland Sexual Health Line on 0800 22 44 88 for more information).
• If you're interested in getting an IUS (intrauterine system), the two brands available in the UK are Mirena and Jaydess.
• If you're interested in getting an IUD (intrauterine device), you can get it from most GP surgeries, community contraception clinics, some genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics, sexual health clinics and some young people's services (call the NHS Scotland Sexual Health Line on 0800 22 44 88 for more information).

Costs

If you go to NHS, contraception services are free and confidential (even if you're under 16 years old).

Emergency Contraception (Morning After Pill)

Important Notes: Emergency contraception may prevent pregnancy for three days (72 hours) and sometimes five days (120 hours) after unprotected sex. Take EC as soon as possible after unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy. If you don't have access to dedicated EC, oral contraceptives can be used as replacement EC, but remember the following: 1) Only some contraceptives work as EC 2) Different contraceptives require different dosages and time schedules to work as EC 3) You must only use the first 21 pills in 28-day packs and 4) They may be less effective than dedicated EC. For general information on emergency contraceptives, click here and here.

Laws & Social Stigmas

You can get some emergency contraception (the morning after pill), like Levonelle, without a prescription in Scotland. However, some EC, like ellaOne or an IUD, requires a prescription or consultation with a GP.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• You can get dedicated emergency contraception (the morning after pill) from a General Practitioner (GP) or a health center. The brands you can expect to find are Levonelle and ellaOne. Currently, ellaOne is the most effective and long-lasting EC (it lasts for up to 120 hours after unprotected sex).
• You can also use IUDs as emergency contraception. Consult with your GP about this.
• If you can't access dedicated emergency contraception, you can use regular birth control pills as replacement EC. For progestin-only pills, you can take Neogest (take 40 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex). You can also take Microval or Norgeston (for these, take 50 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex). You can also take combined progestin-estrogen pills. If you do, remember that, in 28-day packs, only the first 21 pills can be used. Of these pills, you can take Eugynon 30ED, Microgynon, Microgynon 30 ED, Microgynon-30 or Ovranette (for all of these, take 4 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 4 more pills 12 hours later). For more information, visit the Princeton EC website.

Costs

You can get Levonelle or ellaOne free of charge from NHS.

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs/STDs)

Important Notes - Learn about PEP and PrEP: If you think that you've been recently exposed to HIV (i.e. within 72 hours), seek out PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis). It's a month-long treatment to prevent HIV infection after exposure, and it may be available in your city. Take PEP as soon as possible. For more information, click here. If you are at risk of HIV exposure, seek out PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis). It's a daily oral pill that can prevent HIV infection before exposure. To learn more about PrEP, click here.

Menstruation

Note: In addition to pads and tampons, you can also use menstrual cups and menstrual underwear for your period. To learn more about menstrual cups, click here. To learn more about menstrual underwear, click here.

Abortion

Important Note: There are two main types of abortions: medical (also known as the "abortion pill") and surgical (also known as "in-clinic"). For medical abortions, you take a pill to induce abortion. For surgical abortions, a procedure is performed to induce abortion. For general information about medical and surgical abortions, click here.