Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how they will ensure education on, and access to, contraceptives for marginalised and under-served populations.

We are committed to ensuring that the public has equal access to the best possible contraceptive services. The women’s health area on the National Health Service website brings together over 100 different women’s health topics, including contraception, as a first port of call for women seeking health information. Education surrounding contraceptives should be delivered to all pupils via the Relationships, Sex, and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum. RSHE became compulsory in all schools in September 2020. The statutory guidance is clear that as part of the topic ‘intimate and sexual relationships’, pupils in secondary schools should know the facts about the full range of contraceptive choices, efficacy, and options available. These subjects should be taught to all pupils in schools, and teachers have the flexibility to deliver the curriculum in a way that meets the needs of their individual pupils.

Contraception is a core service for women’s health hub pilots. Women’s health hubs bring together healthcare professionals and existing services to provide integrated women’s health services in the community, centred on meeting women’s needs across the life course and reducing health inequalities. The Department has invested £25 million over 2023/24 and 2024/25 to support the establishment of at least one pilot women’s health hub in every integrated care system.

To offer greater choice in how women can access contraception services across the country, the NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service was launched in April 2023, enabling pharmacists to issue ongoing supplies of contraception, initiated in general practice surgeries and sexual health services. The service relaunched in December 2023 to enable community pharmacies to also initiate oral contraception.

Survey outputs from the 2023 Women’s Reproductive Health Survey will be used to inform future policy development and support strategy work by improving our ability to monitor changes and inequalities in women and girls’ access to contraceptives.