What to expect at your first contraception appointment

Preparing for your first contraception appointment

Appointments for any kind of health related conversation can be nerve-wracking, especially if you don’t know what to expect. If you’ve never used birth control before and have subsequently never had a contraceptive appointment, then this article is for you.

Understanding the basics of contraception

Contraception is used to deliberately prevent pregnancy before it occurs, but it can also be used for managing painful periods or acne. 

There’s lots of different types of contraception or birth control. Different methods of contraception vary in how they work, how effective they are at preventing pregnancy, the type and amount of hormones used (or have no hormones at all), how frequently you use it and how it is administered to your body.

Some contraceptive methods need to be taken daily or used every time you have sex, but there are other methods of long-acting reversible contraception that can be left alone until they need renewing. Additionally, there are methods that are permanent.

Emergency contraception, also known as the morning after pill, is for time-sensitive, emergency situations as a back up when you haven’t used adequate pregnancy prevention methods.

Key things to consider when choosing a contraceptive

When you have your first contraception appointment with a healthcare professional, be prepared for them to follow detailed guidelines when figuring out which contraception is right for you.

There are few key areas that your healthcare professional will consider when you’re choosing a contraceptive:

• Age
• Blood clots
• BMI
• Breast cancer
• Medical conditions
• Medications you take
• Smoking
• Migraines

To understand what they’re looking for in each criteria, you can read our comprehensive guide for key things to consider when choosing a contraceptive.
If you want to find the best contraception option for you, you can take our contraception quiz. Our contraception recommender tool simplifies the confusing process of choosing a contraceptive method and recommends the best options for you.

How to book a contraception appointment

You can get advice about contraception from your GP, at a local sexual health clinic, or from a pharmacist. You will usually have a longer appointment at a sexual health clinic than at a GP practice. And pharmacists can only discuss and offer you the pill – so choose a different healthcare professional if you want to discuss all your options.

Alternatively, you can chat with a women’s health expert from The Lowdown. You can book a 20 or 40 minute appointment with a clinician at a time that is convenient for you.

As well as speaking to your GP, practice nurse or local sexual health clinic for free, Brook is a great sexual health charity for young people. They have amazing resources and support on everything from sex, gender and sexuality, STIs and more.

What to expect from a contraception appointment

It’s really important for your healthcare professional to help you understand what your options are, which means they will need to explore your medical history, your health, family medical history and lifestyle. 

Questions to expect from your doctor in a contraception appointment:

• When did your periods start, and are they regular? When was your last period?
• How heavy or painful are your periods?
• Could you be pregnant or have you ever been pregnant?
• Do you have any existing medical conditions?
• Are you currently taking any medication?
• Do you have any allergies?
• Do you get headaches or migraines? If you have migraines, do you get visual disturbances beforehand?
• Do any close relatives have heart disease or stroke at a young age?
• Is there a history of breast or ovarian cancer in the family?
• Do you smoke?
• Are you currently sexually active?
• How do you feel about your periods? Would you like them to continue, or would lighter/no periods be a bonus?
• Do you want something you take daily, or something longer-term and low-maintenance?
• How would you feel if you became pregnant? Is avoiding it very important to you?
• Are you thinking about children at some point in the future?

A few extra things specific to a first appointment:

The GP or healthcare professional may take a moment to explain all the main options, including; pill, patch, implant, coil, injection, ring, before asking what appeals to you. 

If you’re quite young, they may gently ask about your relationship including if it feels safe and consensual – this is routine safeguarding, not a judgement.

It’s worth going in knowing roughly what matters most to you. For example; not wanting to think about taking contraception daily, how good you are at remembering to take things daily, or wanting periods to stop, as that really helps narrow options down quickly.

Questions for you to ask in a contraception appointment:

• How soon does it become effective?
• How do I use it and what happens if it use it incorrectly?
• What are the serious but rare risks I should know about?
• Will it affect my mood or sex drive?
• Can it help with painful or heavy periods?
• What are the most common side effects?
• Who do I contact if I have side effects or concerns between appointments?
• How quickly will my fertility return when I stop?
• Will any of these options affect my mental health or mood?
• If I’m not happy with my choice, how easy is it to switch?

Going in with even a few of these questions will help you have a much more productive conversation and leave feeling confident in whatever you choose.

Contraception reviews

If you’re looking for lived-experience from people who have used the same contraception that you are planning on using, then you’re already in the right place! At The Lowdown we have over 8,000 contraception reviews from women, globally.

First time use contraception reviews

Contraceptive patch:

Hormonal coil:

Mini pill:

You can compare contraception with community reviews and even come back to leave your own review when the time is right!