Women in the borough say the council “doesn’t do enough to market this important service”.
The rate of GP-prescribed long-acting reversible contraception in Hackney is significantly lower in the borough than both London and nationwide, a new report finds.
In a meeting last week, the council noted the need to improve the availability of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) within GP practices, to enable better and consistent access for residents across Hackney.
Long-acting reversible contraceptives are considered the most effective form of contraception as they can provide years of protection against pregnancy. The term covers the contraceptive implant, intrauterine devices and systems, and the contraceptive injection.
The rate of GP-prescribed LARC in Hackney sits at 6.8 per 1,000 female Hackney residents – one of the lowest of the boroughs in London.
A report from Public Health England shows that the rate of total GP prescribed LARC – excluding injections – is lower in London than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, at 14 prescriptions per 1,000 women.
NHS
The lack of promotion for services like these is not unusual, says Dr Rebecca French, associate professor of Sexual and Reproductive health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine: “You are getting GPs that may not be incentivised to provide a full range, and you are getting pressures on sexual health services, and therefore women may not be getting the long acting reversible contraceptives that route, particularly if there are waiting times.”
Sexual and Reproductive Health-prescribed (SRC) LARC (excluding injections) in London stand at 24 per 1,000.
With the total prescribed LARC rate in Hackney in decline for the fifth year in a row, the sexual well-being of Hackney residents remains a cause for concern for many in the borough. The council states that it is looking to “provide a LARC service that is widely promoted and easily accessible, providing convenient and timely appointments to encourage take-up.”
Under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, local authorities must provide open-access sexual health services for everyone in their area, to control and prevent outbreaks of sexually transmitted infections and reduce unwanted pregnancies.
Hackney Council has ties to individual GP practices, which they promote to residents looking for sexual and reproductive health services. However, activity has remained stagnant, and in some cases, has decreased.
Young women in particular seem to echo these concerns, as Lana, a 19-year-old from Hackney says: “I definitely feel that there aren’t any initiatives noticeably available. As a young woman who was born and raised here, if I wanted to have a contraceptive fitted, I wouldn’t know a lot about where to start with getting one. I do feel that Hackney doesn’t do enough to market this important service.”
As the council looks for ways to ensure that all sexual health services are provided in actuality to GP patients in Hackney, some of its residents continue to grow impatient.
Anna, a 26-year-old nurse living in Hackney, finalised her statement on sexual health in the area: “When this kind of information is laid out in front of you, I think it’s clearly visible how much the emotional, physical, and sexual well-being of women in this borough is being ignored.”
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