In the period 2024/25, 60 percent of women in England aged 16 and 17 years who were in contact with sexual health services were using user-dependent contraceptives, compared to 40 percent who were using long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs). It is visible that younger age groups were more likely to use user-dependent contraceptives compared to older age groups.Â
Contact with sexual health services
In 2022/23, 36 percent of all women who were in contact with sexual and reproductive health services in England for contraception reasons were between 35 and 44 years old. This age group also had the highest share of men in contact with these health services. On the other hand, the share of teenagers in contact with sexual and reproductive services accounted only for a small fraction of total contacts.
Types of contraception used
Across the whole United Kingdom in 2018, the birth control pill was the most common method of contraception for women aged between 15 and 49 years, with 28 percent using it as their main method. Across Europe, the UK had the seventh highest share of women in the country using the pill as their main method of contraception, with Czechia having the highest share at 54 percent of women in the country using the pill.