In September 2022 the government launched a free contraception scheme, for women, girls, trans and non-binary people who need prescription or emergency contraception. This was initially for people aged 17-25 with phased expansion since then. It is currently available for those aged 17 – 30 and will be extended to include 31-year-olds from 1st January 2024.
From 8th January 2024, LifeCycle Women’s Health Clinic will be providing the free contraceptive scheme to eligible people. You can make an appointment online at www.lifecycleclinic.ie/book-now. Choose ‘Free Contraception Consultation’ to get a free initial consultation with an experienced doctor, Dr. Sarah Cahill.
Am I eligible?
To access the scheme, you must fall into the appropriate age group, be resident in Ireland and have a PPS number. GPs, doctors who provide contraception services, and pharmacies can choose to sign up to participate in the scheme.
What’s included?
- initial appointment with a participating doctor to discuss your contraceptive options
- prescription for your chosen contraceptive
- contraceptive products free of charge from a participating pharmacy
- fitting and removal of implants and coils (hormonal and non-hormonal)
- check-ups after fitting of implant and coils
- review appointments and repeat prescriptions
Contraceptive options
There are many types of contraceptives available. The decision regarding which one to use is made between the doctor and the patient taking into account their medical history, previous experience with contraceptives, and preferences.
Contraceptives can be short or long acting.
Short-acting contraceptives require the person to remember to use them regularly.
These include the contraceptive progesterone-only pill (POP), combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP), contraceptive patch and contraceptive vaginal ring. Emergency contraceptive pill can be supplied without prescription in participating pharmacies.
Long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) don’t require the person to remember to use them regularly. The duration they can be used for varies, and they may or may not contain hormones.
Hormonal LARC: injection which lasts for 3 months, implant also known as ‘the bar’ which lasts for 3 years, intrauterine systems (IUS) – also known as hormonal coils - which last for 5-10 years depending on the circumstances.
Non-hormonal LARC: The newer copper IUB Ballerine is the only one covered by the free contraception scheme. Standard intrauterine devices (IUD) – also known as copper coils - are not covered by the free contraceptive scheme (but the fitting of these is still covered).
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