Key messages
- A sexual health outreach programme focused on postnatal contraception education and provision was introduced on the East London Mother & Baby Unit.
- The programme offers a time-intensive but well-organised, equitable, accessible service delivered by experienced sexual health clinicians to women with previously limited direct access to postnatal contraception.
- The programme’s success illustrates the relevance of proactive local service development to meet unmet clinical need.
Background
Increasing postnatal contraception (PNC) uptake supports effective interpregnancy spacing, prevents unplanned repeat pregnancy following childbirth, improves subsequent obstetric outcomes and is a topical service development focus in sexual and reproductive healthcare.1 Provision offers high return on investment in postnatal women as well as the general population.2 3
Recent years have seen substantial progress in increasing PNC provision through coordinated programmes in the UK, particularly via maternity services.4–7 However, across the UK there…