This guideline covers long-acting reversible contraception. It aims to increase the use of long-action reversible contraception by improving the information given to women about their contraceptive choices.

 The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has produced guidance for gynaecological services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In March 2019 we revised our decision on how to implement the recommendations of our October 2017 review. Although no new evidence was identified, we noted significant changes in how we commission and provide contraceptive services in England. We have removed the recommendations in this guideline that no longer fit with current practice. There are also many new LARC products now available. See NICE’s implementation resource summary for long-acting reversible contraception for links to the latest information.

Recommendations

This guideline includes recommendations on:

Who is it for?

  • Healthcare professionals
  • Commissioners and providers
  • Women who need contraception and their partners, families and carers

Is this guideline up to date?

We checked this guideline in October 2017. We found no new evidence that affects the recommendations in this guideline. The approach to the implementation of the surveillance decision was revised in March 2019.

Guideline development process

How we develop NICE guidelines

Your responsibility

The recommendations in this guideline represent the view of NICE, arrived at after careful consideration of the evidence available. When exercising their judgement, professionals and practitioners are expected to take this guideline fully into account, alongside the individual needs, preferences and values of their patients or the people using their service. It is not mandatory to apply the recommendations, and the guideline does not override the responsibility to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual, in consultation with them and their families and carers or guardian.

All problems (adverse events) related to a medicine or medical device used for treatment or in a procedure should be reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency using the Yellow Card Scheme.

Local commissioners and providers of healthcare have a responsibility to enable the guideline to be applied when individual professionals and people using services wish to use it. They should do so in the context of local and national priorities for funding and developing services, and in light of their duties to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, to advance equality of opportunity and to reduce health inequalities. Nothing in this guideline should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with complying with those duties.

Commissioners and providers have a responsibility to promote an environmentally sustainable health and care system and should assess and reduce the environmental impact of implementing NICE recommendations wherever possible.