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Family planning and unintended pregnancy

About

Family planning is not just about planning to have a family. Family planning is about making informed decisions about your reproductive and sexual health and wellbeing. It can include the choice to have or not have children, contraception, assisted reproductive technology, finances, sexual health and fertility management.

What to do

Unintended pregnancy

If you think that you are pregnant, it is important to have this confirmed as early as possible.

The most obvious sign of pregnancy is a missed period, but there may be other signs too.

Other pregnancy symptoms include:

  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Sore breasts
  • Tiredness
  • Increased frequency of urination.

Pregnancy kits are available from any chemist or pharmacy, or you can attend a medical clinic, such as Deakin Medical Centre. At the medical clinic, you will see a doctor or a nurse that have the pregnancy confirmed. The doctor or nurse will also provide options of care.

If you are pregnant, talking to a doctor and other people who you trust about your options may help you decide what is best for you. Your options may include continuation of the pregnancy, termination of the pregnancy (abortion), or adoption.

Contraception

There are many types of contraception available, and you might need to try multiple options before finding what works best for you. Deakin Medical Centre has doctors and nurses available to obtain more information and discuss contraception options.

Common types of contraception include condoms, oral contraceptive pills, intrauterine device (IUD) and contraceptive implants.

Getting support

If you would like to speak to a health professional about sexual health or family planning, you can make an appointment at Deakin Medical Centre. Deakin's counselling service is also available for free and confidential counselling.

Marie Stopes International helps women with all aspects of sexual and reproductive healthcare. Clinics are located across Victoria and are completely confidential.

Melbourne Sexual Health Centre specialises in providing diagnosis, testing and education relating to sexually transmissible infections.

Sexual Health Victoria provide a range of educational and referral information on sexual health topics, as well as clinics for all aspects of sexual health consultations.

More help and advice

  • Sexual Health Quarters (SHQ) provide resources on pregnancy and contraception.
  • Let Them Know provides anonymous SMS and email services to help people diagnosed with chlamydia tell their sexual partners.
  • STI Testing, Prevention and Treatment - Australian Government site providing useful resources for young people including condom cards and new fact sheets.
  • Drama DownUnder provide information about the most commonly experienced sexually transmitted infections (STIs) experienced by gay men.
  • Thorne Harbour Health is an LGBTIQ+ community-controlled organisation that provides health support and services for sex, sexuality and gender diverse communities.
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