Contraception
Contraceptive advice and supplies are available from your college doctor, any other GP, the Alec Turnbull Clinic (see below) and other Family Planning Clinics or the GUM Clinic at the Churchil Hospital. They are free of charge to everyone. Some GPs run special Family Planning Clinics or you can be seen in any normal surgery. Pregnancy tests and cervical smears are also available from GPs and many of them supply free condoms. All students should have received an information card from their doctor in Oxford detailing clinics and surgery times. Students should know that they have the choice to seek contraceptive advice and supplies from any GP practice, not just from their own GP/college doctor.
Health Authority Family Planning Clinic (Alec Turnbull Clinic)
Address: 23 Raglan House, Between Towns Road, Cowley
Phone: 01865 456666
Opening hours:
- Monday–Thursday: 9.30 a.m.–7.00 p.m.
- Friday: 9.30 a.m.–4.00 p.m.
- Saturday: 10.30 a.m.–1.30 p.m.
It is not essential to have an appointment though you may have to wait longer at the clinic if you do not have one. Between session times the clinic is open for telephone advice which is available to anyone, whether you attend the clinic as a patient or not. In addition to offering contraception, the Alec Turnbull Clinic provides on-the-spot pregnancy tests, smear tests and advice on sexual problems and sexually transmitted diseases (including HIV).
Emergency contraception
If you have run a risk of pregnancy, you can obtain safe treatment (emergency contraception) if you see a doctor soon: pill treatment is effective within 72 hours of unprotected sex, but can be prescribed up to 5 days afterwards (although it would be less effective). Coil treatment is effective up to 5 days after unprotected sex. Emergency contraception is available from GPs during surgery hours or by phoning the emergency number at weekends; it is provided at the Alec Turnbull Clinic and at the Harrison Department at all clinic sessions.
If you find that you are pregnant and are not happy about this, you can approach either your own doctor or a family planning clinic to talk over the choices open to you – including adoption, fostering or a termination (legal abortion).