A report has shown that the number of people using NHS community contraception clinics rose to 1.3 million in the year to March 2009, an increase of 7 per cent on the previous year.
Men’s use of the clinics increased by 17,000 on the previous year, a rise of 13 per cent to a total of 140,000, according to the NHS Information Centre.
More women also attended clinics, with an increase of 6 per cent - 67,000 new female visitors - taking the total number to 1.2 million.
The most frequent visitors to the clinics were women aged 16-19. An estimated 21 per cent of this age group visited a clinic during the year. Only 8 per cent of under-15s visited a clinic. These figures are similar to those of the previous year.
The most popular form of contraception among women attending the clinics was oral contraception, with 44 per cent using it, a figure that has remained stable since 2003-04.
However, long acting reversible contraceptives are on the increase, and now account for 24 per cent of contraception given out at the clinics, in comparison with 18 per cent in 2003-04.
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