Crash course: contraception and sexual health

The contraceptive implant, the hormonal coil and the copper coil are the most effective methods, at over 99%. The NHS gives two figures for each method. Perfect use means using it correctly every time. Typical use is what happens in real life, when a pill gets missed or a condom comes off.

A figure of 91% means that around 9 in 100 women using that method for a year will get pregnant. Female sterilisation and vasectomy are permanent methods, and the NHS says female sterilisation is more than 99% effective.

A doctor or nurse can help you choose the method that suits you.

Four methods work for months or years once they’re in place, so there’s nothing to remember day to day.

• Contraceptive implant: a small plastic rod put under the skin of your arm. It works for 5 years.
• Copper coil (IUD): a small T-shaped device put into the womb. It lasts for 5 or 10 years, depending on the type.
• Hormonal coil (IUS): it lasts for 3 to 8 years, depending on the type.
• Contraceptive injection: it lasts for 8 to 13 weeks, depending on the type.

If you’ve read that the implant lasts 3 years, that’s out of date. The manufacturer’s licence was changed in 2026, and the NHS now says the implant works for 5 years before it needs to be replaced.

Better2Know doesn’t fit or supply contraception. Our clinics do offer coil removal and contraceptive implant removal. You can get pregnant soon after either is removed.

Only condoms. The NHS says only condoms can protect against STIs, including HIV.

The pill, the implant, the coil, the injection and sterilisation are all very good at preventing pregnancy, but none of them stops you getting or passing on an STI. That’s why the NHS advises using a condom as well.

Condoms aren’t perfect either. They don’t cover all the skin around your genitals, so infections that pass on through skin contact, such as Herpes and HPV, can still be passed on. The NHS still says that using a condom every time you have sex is the best way to protect you and your partner from HIV and other STIs. Read more in “Can you still get an STI if you wear a condom?”

Emergency contraception can stop you getting pregnant after sex without contraception, or when contraception might have failed. There are three options:

• Copper coil (IUD): fitted within 5 days of sex. This is the most effective type.
• Levonorgestrel pill: taken within 3 days of sex.
• Ulipristal acetate pill: taken within 5 days of sex.

The sooner you use emergency contraception, the more effective it usually is. Many pharmacies sell the emergency pill.

The emergency pill doesn’t protect you from STIs. If there’s a chance you’ve been exposed to HIV, emergency medicine called PEP has to be started within 72 hours, so get urgent medical help and ask about it. Read more in “My condom broke. What should I do now? First steps and when to test”

Sexual health is about more than avoiding infections. The World Health Organization’s working definition describes it as a state of physical, emotional, mental and social wellbeing in relation to sexuality, and not just the absence of disease. It includes being able to have pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence.

Consent is part of that. The NHS says consent means saying yes to what happens, and that it can be withdrawn at any time. Being drunk, saying nothing or having said yes in the past isn’t consent. In the UK, the age of consent is 16.

Many STIs have no symptoms, so the only way to know for sure is to get tested. You can have an infection without knowing it and pass it on to a partner.

There were 334,151 new STI diagnoses in England in 2025, down 8.3% on 2024. The most commonly diagnosed were:

• Chlamydia: 151,163 diagnoses
• Gonorrhoea: 63,943
• first episode genital Herpes: 28,779
• first episode genital warts: 23,282

When STIs do cause symptoms, the NHS says they can include:

• an unusual discharge from your vagina, penis or bottom
• pain when you pee
• lumps or skin growths around your genitals or bottom
• a rash
• unusual vaginal bleeding
• itchy genitals or bottom
• blisters, sores or warts around your genitals or bottom

Read more in “STI symptoms: what to look out for and when to test”

The NHS suggests getting tested once a year, or whenever you have a new sexual partner. UK guidelines add:

• at the start of a relationship: if you have one long-term partner
• every 3 months: if you’re at higher risk, for example if you take PrEP or have had more than 10 partners in the last year

If you have symptoms, get tested straight away.

England’s Chlamydia screening programme recommends that sexually active women under 25 test for Chlamydia after sex with a new partner and once a year.

A test taken too soon can miss an infection. How long to wait depends on the infection:

• Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea: 2 weeks after sex
• HIV: 45 days for a laboratory blood test
• Syphilis: a test in the first 3 months after sex can miss the infection, so you may need a repeat test

Vaccines protect against some STIs, and medicines can prevent HIV.

• HPV vaccine: offered to all children aged 12 to 13. Girls, and boys born after 1 September 2006, can catch up until their 25th birthday, and men who have sex with men can have it if they’re 45 or under.
• Hepatitis A and B vaccines: recommended for men who have sex with men. Hepatitis B vaccination is also recommended for people who change sexual partners often.
• MenB vaccine for Gonorrhoea: offered since August 2025 to men who have sex with men who are at higher risk. It gives around 30% to 40% protection.
• Mpox vaccine: recommended mainly for men who have sex with men who have multiple partners. Two doses give around 80% protection.
• PrEP: medicine taken by people at higher risk of HIV to stop them getting it. It doesn’t protect against other STIs.
• PEP: emergency HIV medicine taken after a possible exposure. It has to be started within 72 hours, ideally within 24, and is taken for 28 days.

Read more in “7 ways to prevent catching an STI”

If you’re a health professional, two UK professional bodies offer training and qualifications in this field.

• The College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, formerly the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, awards a Diploma for doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists and other registered health professionals. It also awards Letters of Competence in fitting and removing contraceptive implants and in fitting coils.
• The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) runs the STI Foundation. Its theory course covers the diagnosis and management of common STIs, and its competency programme assesses skills in the workplace.

Some universities also run contraception and sexual health modules for nurses and other health professionals. The course this article first described was run by Manchester Metropolitan University. We couldn’t confirm whether it still runs, so check the university’s own course pages.

If you’re not sure which test to choose, a screen that covers several common STIs is a good place to start. Better2Know offers:

• Full Screen: tests for 7 infections, including HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis B, Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea, from 28 days after sex, with results in 3 days (5 days for the home test). You can book it at one of our clinics or order a Full Screen home test.
• Peace of Mind: tests for Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea and Syphilis from 14 days after sex, with results in 2 days. You can also order a home test kit.

If you test before 45 days, a negative HIV result needs a repeat test. A Syphilis test in the first 3 months after sex can miss the infection, so you may need a repeat test. Not sure which test you need? Our Patient Care Team is available 24/7 on 020 7099 0955.

Does the pill protect against STIs?

No. The NHS says the combined pill doesn’t stop you getting or passing on STIs. Only condoms protect against STIs.

How long does the contraceptive implant last?

It works for 5 years before it needs to be replaced. Older information may say 3 years, which is out of date.

Can I get contraception from Better2Know?

No. We don’t fit or supply contraception, but our clinics can remove a coil or a contraceptive implant, and we test for STIs.

Contraception and STI protection are two different jobs. The most effective methods of contraception don’t protect against STIs, and the one method that does, the condom, isn’t the most effective at preventing pregnancy. Using both, and testing when you have a new partner, covers you for both.

Book a Full Screen at a clinic near you or order a home test kit. Our Patient Care Team is available 24/7 on 020 7099 0955.

Not in the UK? Choose your country from the selector at the top of the page for local tests and prices.

This article originally appeared on 4 October 2012 and was last updated on 3 October 2026.

This article is general information and not a substitute for personal medical advice.

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