Services Database Emergency Hormonal Contraception (Derbyshire County Area)

This specification for the provision of oral emergency contraception is designed to:

Enable women of all ages to access free emergency contraception from community pharmacies located within the Derbyshire County Council (DCC) boundary

•    Increase the knowledge among young people of the availability of emergency contraception and contraception

•    Reduce the number of unintended conceptions within Derbyshire

•    Ensure improved access to sexual health advice and oral emergency contraception (OEC) as Levonorgestrel (LNG) and Ulipristal Acetate (eliaOne) via appropriately trained pharmacists working to an agreed Patient Group Direction (PGD) Provide immediate advice on contraception and direct women to long term mainstream contraceptive services, particularly hard to reach groups

•    Provide immediate advice on STIs and direct women to long term mainstream tSHS services,

•    Increase the knowledge of risks associated with unprotected intercourse referring on to an appropriate service where clients may be at risk.

Raise awareness and give assurances of the confidentiality of other locally provided services (contraception, sexual health and specialist sexual health services)

•    Monitor and evaluate service provision.

Evidence Base and General Overview

The Department of Health's strategy for public health includes the aim of improving access to confidential, nonjudgemental sexual health services, induding contraception services. The evidence clearly demonstrates that:

Approximately 30% of all pregnancies are unplanned and the majority of teenage pregnancies are unplanned

•    Of all teenagers who conceive. around 50% lead to terminations.

The national Sexual and Reproductive Health Profiles provide comparative data across a broad range of sexual health indicators. In general, Derbyshire has better sexual health than the population of the country as a whole, however inequalities in sexual health outcomes persist (e.g. high teenage pregnancy rates in some areas). For Derbyshire as a whole the rate of under 18 conceptions is below the England average, however the rate varies across tier 2 local authority areas.

The Public Health Outcomes Framework incorporates a key outcome indicator on under-18 conceptions. Improved availability within the community to women in need of OEC therefore increases access, contributing to a reduction in under-18 conceptions.