Access to contraception case studies
The AGC has championed the right of every woman in England to access comprehensive reproductive health services for over ten years, underpinned by a fundamental right to choose the right method and setting for her. ​However, years of public health funding cuts, workforce and training challenges, and fragmented commissioning arrangements have put contraceptive provision under threat.  ​
While the AGC has long been concerned about the disproportionate impact of these challenges on disadvantaged and marginalised women, such as sex workers, migrants, and victims of domestic violence, who may be particularly vulnerable to unplanned pregnancies, these women’s voices are all too often left unheard. In 2024, the AGC, with support from the English HIV and Sexual Health Commissioners Group (EHSHCG), sought to take initial steps to address this disparity through publication of our groundbreaking report ‘Breaking barriers: inequalities in access to contraception in England’.
Between January and September 2024, we conducted a series of short, informal interviews with individuals from a range of marginalised backgrounds to explore their experiences accessing contraception. All participants took part in the interviews voluntarily and were sent an information and consent form prior to speaking to the AGC.
The case studies below showcase the stories of these women in additional detail, providing perspectives from diverse backgrounds, including migrant women, sex workers, and women with physical disabilities. They not only demonstrate what good access looks like but also reveal the barriers marginalised women face in obtaining care. As a live resource, these case studies will allow the AGC to embed women's voices into our ongoing advocacy.
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Each case study is grouped by theme to provide helpful context. Click on a picture below to read the full story.
The case studies
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How is the AGC taking these stories forward?
These case studies highlight that women want to be heard - they want to share their stories, provide feedback and help shape contraceptive services, not only for themselves but also on behalf of other marginalised women. The AGC is committed to ensuring that women’s voices, especially those of marginalised women, are reflected in everything we do.
We will draw on the insights and suggestions shared by women to inform our own recommendations and adapt our focus and areas of work to reflect the real barriers they face. Wherever possible, we will amplify these lived experiences in our policy work, championing the issues raised in our engagement with policymakers and stakeholders.
We recognise there is still more to learn and more to do, but we remain firmly committed to making women’s voices central to our work.