Is the pill more popular than condoms?

They showed that girls aged 15 who attended community contraception clinics in England chose the pill more often than the male condom, for the first time. The figures came from official statistics on NHS community contraceptive clinics for the year to March 2012.

• The figures: of the girls aged 15 who attended, 41% chose the pill and 36% chose the male condom. The year before, it had been 38% and 42%.
• Who was counted: only girls who went to one of these clinics. That was about 14% of girls aged 15 in England, or around 43,000 girls.
• What was left out: contraception from doctors’ surgeries, and condoms bought in shops or picked up elsewhere.

Our original article got two things wrong. It said a quarter of all 15 year olds visited these clinics, when the report’s figure was about 14%. It also described the pill as the method of choice for teenage girls in general, when the figures only covered girls who used the clinics. A girl who relied on condoms had less reason to go to a clinic at all.

The girls in these figures were under 16, the legal age of consent in the UK. The NHS says contraception services are confidential, including for people under 16.

Yes. In the year to March 2025, the pill was the main method of contraception for 31% of the women who used sexual health services in England for contraception. The male condom was the main method for 13%.

The pill is still the most common single method, but the picture has changed since 2012:

• Long-acting methods have overtaken the pill: taken together, the implant, the coils and the injection were the main method for 51% of women.
• The pill’s share has fallen: it’s 14 percentage points lower than in the year to March 2015, when it was 45%.
• Fewer teenagers use these clinics: 2% of girls aged 15 had contact with them for contraception in the year to March 2025.
• The youngest users often choose the implant: it was the main method for 36% of under 16s.

These are the latest figures available. The next set is due in October 2026.

Because they only count people who go to clinics. That undercounts condoms, and it misses people who get the pill elsewhere.

• Condoms: NHS England, which publishes the figures, says condoms are easily available without a prescription from other places, such as shops. It says the share of women using them as their main method across the whole population is likely to be much higher.
• The pill from pharmacies: the progestogen-only pill has been sold in pharmacies without a prescription since July 2021. Since December 2023, pharmacists in England have also been able to start people on the pill through the NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service.
• The fall at clinics: NHS England says the sharp fall in pill use at clinics in the year to March 2022 was likely influenced by the progestogen-only pill becoming available over the counter.

So some of the pill’s fall at clinics reflects where people get it, and not only whether they use it.

When 15 year olds are asked directly, the pill and condoms come out much closer together. The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study surveys pupils at school, so it isn’t limited to those who visit a clinic.

In England in 2022, about 1 in 5 of the 15 year olds surveyed (21%) had had sex. Among those who had, this is what was used the last time:

So the old headline is roughly true for girls aged 15 in England today, and not true for boys. Some young people used both, and a boy answering about the pill is reporting what his partner used.

The trend is away from condoms. Between 2018 and 2022, condom use at last sex among 15 year olds in England fell from 57% to 51%, while pill use rose from 35% to 43% among girls.

In Scotland in 2022, 31% of 15 year olds who had had sex said they used a condom only the last time, 26% the pill only, 9% both and 34% neither.

Among women aged 16 to 44 in Britain, the last two published rounds of the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal), carried out around 2000 and 2010, found that the condom and the pill were the two most commonly used methods. The first results from the latest survey, Natsal-4, are due at the end of November 2026.

Read more in “Why are young people no longer using condoms?” and “How many women have sex without a condom?”

The pill. With typical use, the pill is 91% effective at preventing pregnancy and condoms are 82% effective. 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.

There are two types of pill. The combined pill contains the hormones oestrogen and progestogen. The progestogen-only pill, also called the mini pill, contains progestogen alone.

The NHS says the combined pill can also help with acne, heavy or painful periods, premenstrual syndrome and endometriosis.

Read more in “Crash course: contraception and sexual health”

No. The NHS says only condoms can protect against STIs, including HIV.

Both of the NHS’s pill pages say the same thing: the pill doesn’t stop you getting or passing on STIs, so use a condom as well. The pill and the condom do different jobs, and using both covers you for pregnancy and for STIs.

That matters most for the age group this article was first written about. In England in 2025, there were 119,033 new STI diagnoses among people aged 15 to 24. That was 12.5% fewer than in 2024, but the UK Health Security Agency says diagnosis rates in this age group are still disproportionately high. People aged 15 to 24 accounted for about half of all Chlamydia diagnoses.

Many STIs have no symptoms, so you can have one without knowing. Read more in “Can you still get an STI if you wear a condom?”

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.

Is the pill the most popular contraceptive?

At sexual health clinics in England, it’s the most common single method: it was the main method for 31% of women in the year to March 2025. But long-acting methods together accounted for 51%, and clinic figures leave out condoms bought in shops.

Do you still need condoms if you’re on the pill?

For protection against STIs, yes. The pill prevents pregnancy, but it doesn’t stop you getting or passing on an STI. The NHS advises using a condom as well.

Can you get the pill without a prescription?

The NHS says you can buy some brands of the progestogen-only pill from a pharmacy without a prescription.

The pill is more popular than condoms among women who use sexual health clinics, and has been for years. Among teenagers, the two are much closer, and condoms are used far more widely than clinic figures suggest. Whichever is ahead, they aren’t rivals: the pill is better at preventing pregnancy, and only the condom protects against STIs.

If you’ve had sex without a condom, get tested. 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 14 November 2012 and was last updated on 3 October 2026.

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

Sources

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