SPS resources

SPS has a variety of resources on reproductive health which we recommend you check first. These include articles providing advice on contraceptive use in breastfeeding women, and PGD templates for the supply and/or administration of contraceptives (tablets, patches, injections, implants and emergency contraception).

If the information is not available on the SPS website or the information resources listed, or if your clinical scenario is complex, we would suggest you seek further advice from our Medicines Advice service.

Other primary resources

In addition to our own resources, we particularly recommend the following resources that are free to access:

Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) website

The FSRH website provides access to useful guidance documents from the FSRH (a faculty of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists) including:

• UKMEC (UK medical eligibility criteria) for contraceptive use details safety for each group of contraceptive methods (progestogen-only, combined hormonal, intrauterine and emergency contraception) is rated for women with various personal characteristics or medical conditions (including age, smoking history, family and personal medical history)
• FSRH Guidelines and Statements, a collection of documents includes guidance on contraceptive choices for specific patient groups and contraceptive advice for women taking medicines with teratogenic potential. There are also method-specific guidelines – those for oral contraceptives include missed-pill advice.
• Clinical Standards documents relate to service provision such as confidentiality and record keeping

NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries

There are several Clinical Knowledge Summaries (CKS) topics on contraception, covering assessment, barrier methods and spermicides, combined hormonal methods,  emergency contraception, natural family planning and progestogen-only methods.

British National Formulary (BNF)

The British National Formulary (BNF) includes sections on hormonal contraceptives, and on interactions with contraceptives.

Summaries of Product Characteristics (SPCs/SmPCs)

Available via electronic Medicines Compendium and MHRA. Useful sections depend on the nature of the question you are answering, and include drug interactions (section 4.5) and undesirable effects (section 4.8).