This is the one question that lots of people, especially young people, worry about the most.

• The law in New Zealand says that you can buy condoms at any age.
• The law also says you have the right to have access to contraceptives at any age. This includes access to Fit & Forget contraceptives plus other contraceptives you may have read about on this website.
• Your nurse or doctor will want to make sure that you are not at risk and that you understand what you’re doing. If they are concerned that someone could harm you, you could harm someone else, or you could harm yourself – they may need to tell someone else in order to help you better, but they should always try to inform you first.
• When you use a health or disability service in New Zealand, you have the protection of a Code of Rights. Visit The Health & Disability Commissioner for more information. 

There are many methods of contraception available that once given can work for a number of weeks or even years! These methods are often referred to as long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) or Fit & Forget.

Depending upon the type of method used, this will determine how often it will need to be renewed.

• Implant (Jadelle) – lasts up to five years
• Hormonal IUD (Mirena / Jaydess) – lasts from 3-5 years depending on the type
• Non-Hormonal IUD (Copper) – lasts up to ten years depending on the type.

Mostly all contraception can be highly effective at preventing pregnancy with “perfect use” – when it is used correctly absolutely all the time, every time. However, what typically happens is that real life can get in the way of effectiveness. For example, you may forget to take your pill one day, or be a few days late for an injection, or the condom may split, etc. This is what we call “typical use”. The most effective forms of contraception are Fit & Forget methods because it takes away the need to do something every time you have sex, or every day, or every few months.

However, many contraceptive methods do not protect again STIs so use condoms as well!