Attitudes of women in Scotland to contraception: a qualitative study to explore the acceptability of long-acting methods.

Background And Methodology: Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) (i.e. injections, implants and intrauterine methods) has the potential to reduce unintended pregnancies but in the UK these methods are under-used.

Effect of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate on bone density in a Scottish industrial city.

Objective: To determine if long-term users of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate injectable contraception (DMPA) were more likely than their peers to have low bone density.

Design: Cross-sectional observational study.

Setting: The Domiciliary Family Planning Service, Glasgow, Scotland.

Low literacy: a hidden problem in family planning clinics.

Objectives: Low literacy is highly prevalent among UK adults. This study assessed functional health literacy among family planning clinic clients and whether this was associated with sexual health knowledge and behaviours. It also assessed the readability of patient leaflets.

Risk of pregnancy and external validity in clinical trials of emergency contraception.

Objectives: To compare women who enroll in emergency contraception (EC) trials to those who decline and to understand why eligible women decline to participate.

Methods: Data were collected from all women seeking EC (n = 5,787) at three clinics in the USA and UK during a period of nearly 1 year (from September 1997 to August 1998). The main outcome measures were pregnancy risk calculated by adjusted cycle day of ovulation.

Recording what happens in the under-16 consultation.

Background: Clinical staff offering sexual health services to young people need to balance the rights of the young person to confidentiality and good quality advice with the need to protect their wider interests. The needs of young clients may be complex and raise ethical and medico-legal questions for the staff involved in their care.

Methods: In our large, integrated sexual health service, a 'recording form' was introduced to prompt staff to record data systematically pertinent to consultations in clients under 16 years of age, to understand what kind of presentations dominate in these consultations, and to establish how common child protection concerns are.