FSRH President features in Davina McCall's 'Pill Revolution'
Date: 08 Jun 2023
Type: FSRH News and Information
TV presenter Davina McCall has filmed a new documentary about the hormonal contraceptive pill. Pill Revolution will be broadcast tonight, Thursday 8th June, at 9pm.
FSRH President, Dr Janet Barter was interviewed as part of this documentary and, throughout, we have worked very closely with the production team to ensure that the information contained within the documentary was factual and informative.
Dr Barter said:
“On average, most women spend almost half of their lives either trying to plan a pregnancy or to avoid unplanned pregnancies, making contraception the medical intervention with the biggest impact on a woman throughout their life. Yet, as the documentary highlights, women’s reproductive healthcare simply doesn’t receive adequate funding and prioritisation, which has further resulted in a lack of research.
"There is no single method of contraception that is the best choice for every person who needs it, so it is essential that clinicians are equipped with the most up-to-date, evidence-based knowledge on all types of contraception to be able to safely prescribe the method that is most suitable for each individual. The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare produces NICE-accredited guidelines to do just that and guide the provision of safe, effective contraception.
“This year we have partnered with Wellbeing of Women to jointly fund two sexual and reproductive healthcare (SRH) entry level research scholarships to improve evidence-based practice and ultimately lead to better outcomes for all women.
“We are also launching a guide for people on writing to their MP about their experience with accessing contraception. This is to empower women to advocate for themselves - telling legislators in this country about their personal experiences and demanding improvements are made in the system.”
To help with the potential increase in patient enquiries about their contraception, we have pulled together a list of resources, both for you and for you to share with your patients, which we hope you will find useful during this time and in future.
Resources for clinicians
- UK Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use (UKMEC) The UK MEC helps clinicians decide what contraceptives they can safely recommend based on the medical conditions of patients in their care.
- FSRH Guidelines and Statements National Clinical Guidance produced by the FSRH Clinical Effectiveness Unit (CEU). The CEU is accredited by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
- FSRH Clinical Standards Service Standards produced by the FSRH Clinical Standards Committee
- SRH on Demand If you are looking to refresh your knowledge, our suite of SRH On-Demand learning options enable you to train or upskill in key areas, at your own pace, on your own terms, at a time convenient to you.
- Read the FSRH statement of IUD fitting and pain relief.
Resources for patients:
- Sexwise Factual information about STIs, contraception, pregnancy, and pleasure
- Brook Factual information of each method of contraception based on FSRH recommendations
- Brook Find a service tool
- The Lowdown Myth Buster Blogs
Write to your MP
We have launched a new ‘Writing to your MP Guide and Template’ designed to assist individuals in writing to their MP to talk about their own experiences of accessing contraception. We are hoping it will lead to more conversation amongst decision makers and ultimately better strategy, enhanced resource, and greater funding for SRH.
Explore the evidence linking contraception and mood
Drawing on the leading evidence from our Standards and Guidelines, listen to the most up-to-date analysis on the link between contraception and mood.