A new report commissioned by two of the UK’s leading family planning charities claims cuts to contraception and sexual health services could lead to an increase in the number of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Increases which could saddle the UK with a £136.7 billion NHS and welfare burden by 2020.
Last year the Advisory Group on Contraception found that 3.2m women of child bearing age faced restrictions to accessing contraception.
And in the areas where restrictions were greatest, the abortion rate was 9.75 per cent higher than areas with no restrictions.
The Family Planning Association (FPA) and Brook commissioned Unprotected Nation to look at what might happen if access to sexual health services remained the same, got better or worsened between now and 2020.
If access remains the same, unintended pregnancy and STIs could cost the UK between £84.4 billion and £127 billion.
If cuts continue and there is worsened access – with more people being denied access to contraceptive methods and information – the additional cost to the NHS plus wider public sector costs could total between£8.3 billion and £10 billion, a tenth of the total NHS budget in 2012-13.
If there is improved access, the NHS and the public sector could save between £3.7 billion and £5.1 billion by 2020.
Simon Blake, Brook’s chief executive, said that the national sexual health and teenage pregnancy strategies had ended and the NHS was under intense pressure to make savings.
“This report makes very clear just how short-sighted restrictions to contraception services are – particularly for young people who have to navigate this void alongside a black hole in sex and relationships education programmes,” he said
“The wheels of this crisis are firmly in motion.
"Investment in sexual health saves money, but if national and local government ignore the warnings and continue stripping away services, advice and information, the bleak predictions in this report will come true,” added Dr Audrey Simpson, acting chief executive, FPA.
As a result, the charities have launched a campaign called XES - We Can't Go Backward to raise awareness about the consequences of cuts to sexual health services.
They are asking supporters to sign up to a Bill of Rights to guarantee women accessible, confidential and timely sexual health and contraception services across the UK, write to their MP asking them to support these aims and to rate their own experiences of contraception and sexual health services on an on-line map.
Anne Connolly, a GP in Bradford and chair of the Primary Care Women’s Health Forum, said: “Maintaining progress requires investment and if we are brave enough to invest money at a time when there is pressure to disinvest there are massive cost savings as well as quality of life savings to be made.”
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