Publication, Part of Sexual and Reproductive Health Services (Contraception)
Sexual and Reproductive Health Services, England (Contraception) 2021/22
Accredited official statistics
Chart correctionÂ
In part 3, one chart showing "Emergency contraception items provided to under16s by year, as a percentage of emergency contraception items provided to females of all ages" has been replaced to show the correct figure for 2020/21.
28 September 2023 09:30 AM
Part 3: Emergency contraception
Introduction
Figures in this part do not represent the full volume of emergency contraceptives provided in England.
Most of the analysis relates to emergency contraception provided at SRH services only. Counts from community prescribing data (items dispensed primarily by pharmacists and GPs - see part 5 for full inclusions) are also shown in the first section - this data is sourced from the Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system, supplied by NHS Prescription Services.
Since 2001, the reclassification of emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) meant that it could also be purchased over the counter at a pharmacy without a prescription (by females aged 16 and over). In addition, nurses and pharmacists can supply EHC to females of all ages under a Patient Group Direction (PGD). PGDs are documents which make it legal for medicines to be provided to groups of patients without individual prescriptions having to be written for each patient. Data on supply by PGD are not collected centrally.
Emergency contraception provision
Emergency contraception provided by SRH services, or dispensed in the community, by year
Community prescribing data is reported by calendar year, so is presented separately from SRH services data.
Over the last ten years, there has been an overall fall in the number of emergency contraception items provided by both SRH services and at other locations in the community.
54,826 items were provided by SRH services in 2021/22, and although this was an increase of 20% on the previous year, the 2020/21 figures had been impacted by Covid related restrictions in service provision. The 2021/22 figure was 32% below that in 2019/20 (80,962 items).
The number of emergency contraception prescriptions dispensed in the community was 86,537 in 2021, a fall of 4% compared to 2020 (90,068). Over the last ten years, this has fallen by 65%, from around 245 thousand items in 2011.
Likelihood of being provided emergency contraception by SRH services, by age
3 per 1,000 of the female population were provided emergency contraception by an SRH service in 2021/22.
The likelihood of a female using an SRH service to obtain emergency contraception varies with age.
Those aged 18 to 19 were the most likely, with 8 per 1,000 population having done so at least once during the year.
There were 1,391 females aged 13 to 15 provided with emergency contraception by an SRH service at least once during the year, representing 1 per 1,000 population.
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For more information: Data tables 1, 9a, 9b, 9c, and 13
Emergency contraception provided to under 16s (SRH services only)
Emergency contraception items provided to under 16s, by year
The number of emergency contraception items provided to under 16s by SRH services over the last ten years has fallen both in real terms and as a percentage of those provided to females of all ages (see data table 9a for a longer time series)
1,671 items were provided to under 16s by SRH services in 2021/22, representing 3% of total emergency contraception. This compares to 1,357 items in 2020/21, and 13,454 items in 2011/12 (which represented 10% of the total).
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For more information: Data tables 9a, 11 and 18a/b
Last edited: 27 September 2023 6:40 pm