Contraception

LARCs are the favourite friend of a Women’s Health GP! They have countless benefits over the combined oral contraceptive pill (cOCP) which many people think is still the best option for contraception.

1. They are long acting! You don’t need to remember to take a pill everyday. Long acting contraceptive implants lasts 3 years and copper IUDs last for 5 years.

2. About 50% of women with an IUD won’t have a period after 1 year of the LARC being in their system. With the long acting contraceptive implants, 1 in 5 women will have no periods at 1 year, with the other 4 in 5 women having a bleeding pattern ranging from infrequent spotting to prolonged bleeding – we have methods to reduce this so we ask that patients persevere for at least a year.

3. They only have hormone progesterone in them, unlike the cOCP which has oestrogen AND progesterone. The copper IUD has no hormones at all.

4. They have a lower dose of hormones because they are absorbed through tissue and don’t have to pass through the stomach and liver like cOCPs. Your fertility will return to its normal state within 4 months of the LARC being removed, so if you decide it’s time to have a baby, they can be easily removed and your period should return soon after.

5. As they don’t have any oestrogen in them, they are able to be used as contraceptives for people who can’t or shouldn’t take oestrogen containing medications e.g. if you suffer from migraines with aura, smokers, obesity, personal history or close family history of blood clots, breast cancer, ovarian cancer. They can also be used for contraception immediately after having a baby and with breast feeding.

6. They are CHEAPER!!! They cost approx $36 plus insertion cost – divided over the time you have them for, it is significantly less than what you pay per month for cOCP.

1. Abnormal bleeding pattern.

2. They can affect your skin, breasts, mood, weight – we just don’t know how! It could be better or worse – every patient is different.

3. They need to be inserted by a doctor, involving a medical procedure.

We have a full range of contraception services. This includes on site insertion and removal of contraceptive devices and copper IUDs. These are otherwise known as Long Acting Reversible Contraception. They highly effective and last for 3-5 years.

Our doctors are experienced in giving family planning advice, discussing fertility, pregnancy planning, and family counselling.

For those with an unplanned pregnancy we have caring GPs and psychological counselling services. We will support and guide you through this challenging time.

Long Acting Reversible Contraceptives are the favourite friend of a Women’s Health GP! They have countless benefits over the combined oral contraceptive pill (cOCP) which many people think is still the best option for contraception.