Contraception Workshops for Schools, Colleges, Universities and Staff Training
2020 Dreams Contraception Workshops give young people clear, practical and age-appropriate information about preventing unintended pregnancy, reducing sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk, understanding contraceptive choices and accessing reliable sexual-health support. The programme moves beyond simply naming methods: participants learn how methods differ, why effectiveness can change in real-life use, which methods require regular action, which are long acting, what emergency contraception is for and why condoms have a distinct role in STI prevention.
Our Contraception Workshops for Schools are particularly relevant to secondary schools, sixth forms and colleges, but sessions can also be adapted for universities, SEND and SEMH settings, PRUs and alternative provision, charities, youth organisations, secure and residential settings, staff teams, professional groups, workplaces and corporate events. Every session is adapted to the age group, safeguarding context and needs of the organisation.
The approach is factual, non-judgemental and practical. Young people are not told that one contraceptive method is “best” for everybody. Instead, they learn that different methods have different advantages, limitations, routines and medical considerations, and that personalised advice should come from a suitably qualified doctor, nurse, pharmacist or sexual-health professional.
These sessions are also commonly described as Contraception Education Workshops or contraception awareness workshops. Whatever terminology a school or organisation uses, the focus is the same: accurate contraceptive knowledge, safer sexual-health decision making and clear routes to professional support.
Contraception education also sits within a wider understanding of relationships and sexual decision making. Pupils need to know that contraception does not replace consent, that a partner should not control another person’s contraceptive choices, that pressure around condom use can be a relationship concern and that delaying sex remains a valid choice.
Core Features of Our Contraception Workshops
- What contraception is and why different methods exist
- Pregnancy prevention versus STI prevention
- External condoms and internal condoms
- Combined pill and progestogen-only pill
- Contraceptive implant
- Contraceptive injection
- Contraceptive patch and vaginal ring
- IUD (copper coil) and IUS (hormonal coil)
- Diaphragm or cap
- Natural family planning and why effectiveness depends heavily on correct use
- Emergency contraceptive pill and emergency IUD
- Typical use versus perfect use
- Why long-acting reversible contraception does not require daily or per-sex action
- Condom negotiation, boundaries and sexual pressure
- Consent and contraceptive decision making
- What to do if contraception fails or is missed
- Confidential NHS contraception and sexual-health services
- Contraception for young people under 16 and safeguarding
- Myths, misinformation and social-media claims about contraception
- Staff Contraception Training for teachers, DSLs, pastoral teams and professionals
Participants leave with a clearer understanding of what different methods are designed to do, where to get reliable advice and why contraception decisions should be informed rather than driven by myths, embarrassment, pressure or guesswork.
What Are Contraception Workshops?
Contraception Workshops are sexual-health education sessions that help participants understand the methods used to prevent pregnancy, how effectiveness differs between methods, which methods also help reduce STI transmission and how to access contraception confidentially.
A useful Contraception Workshop should answer practical questions such as: Which methods need to be used every time somebody has sex? Which methods are taken daily, weekly or every few weeks? Which last for months or years? What is the difference between an IUD and an IUS? What happens if a condom splits? What is emergency contraception? Which methods help protect against STIs? Where can young people get contraception for free? What does confidentiality mean?
The educational goal is not to turn pupils into prescribers. It is to give them enough accurate knowledge to recognise their options, understand the limits of each method and know when professional advice is needed.
Why Contraception Workshops Matter in 2026
The revised statutory Relationships and Sex Education guidance for England is for introduction from 1 September 2026. By the end of secondary school, pupils should know the facts about the full range of contraceptive choices, their efficacy and the options available. They should also understand safer sex, condom use, STIs, pregnancy choices, sexual pressure and how to access confidential sexual and reproductive health advice and treatment.
This makes contraception education more than a list of products. Young people need to understand the connection between method, effectiveness, routine, STI protection, consent and access. For example, a highly effective long-acting method may reduce pregnancy risk but will not protect against STIs. A condom can help prevent both pregnancy and STIs, but its real-world effectiveness depends on correct and consistent use.
Contraception education should also reduce stigma. Accessing contraception or sexual-health advice is a health decision. Young people should not be shamed for asking questions, choosing to delay sex, using contraception or accessing confidential services.
Contraception in England: Current Service Evidence
The latest NHS England contraception statistics cover activity in dedicated Sexual and Reproductive Health services during 2024/25. These figures do not represent all contraception use in England because GP and pharmacy activity is not fully included.
Contraception-related contacts
Dedicated Sexual and Reproductive Health services recorded around 0.98 million contraception-related contacts in 2024/25.
Long-acting methods
Among main methods recorded in dedicated SRH services, 51% were long-acting reversible methods, including implants, intrauterine methods and injections.
Contraceptive pill
The pill accounted for 31% of main methods among users recorded by dedicated SRH services in 2024/25.
Condom effectiveness
NHS guidance lists external condoms as 82% effective with typical use and 98% effective with perfect use for preventing pregnancy.
The figures help demonstrate two key teaching points: contraceptive use is varied, and real-world effectiveness is affected by how a method is used. Workshops therefore avoid presenting one percentage without explaining whether it reflects typical or perfect use.
The Contraception Method Map: EVERY TIME → REGULAR ROUTINE → LONG ACTING → EMERGENCY
One of the distinctive elements within our Contraception Workshops is the Contraception Method Map. Instead of expecting pupils to memorise a disconnected list of products, methods are organised by how they are used in real life.
| EVERY TIME | Used when sex happens External condoms, internal condoms and barrier methods such as a diaphragm or cap. |
| REGULAR ROUTINE | Remembered on a schedule Pills are taken daily, patches are changed weekly and vaginal rings are used on a repeating schedule. |
| LONG ACTING | Months or years without daily action Implants, injections, IUDs and IUSs reduce the need to remember contraception every day or every time sex occurs. |
| EMERGENCY | Used after unprotected sex or contraceptive failure Emergency contraception includes the emergency contraceptive pill and the copper IUD. It is not the same as a regular contraceptive plan. |
This framework helps pupils understand why different methods suit different circumstances without telling an individual which method they should choose.
Typical Use Versus Perfect Use: Why the Numbers Change
A major source of confusion in contraception education is the difference between perfect use and typical use. Perfect-use figures assume the method is used correctly every time. Typical-use figures reflect real life, where people can miss pills, forget to replace a ring or use a condom incorrectly.
| Method | Typical Use | Perfect Use |
|---|---|---|
| Implant | Over 99% | Over 99% |
| IUS / hormonal coil | Over 99% | Over 99% |
| IUD / copper coil | Over 99% | Over 99% |
| Injection | 94% | Over 99% |
| Combined pill / progestogen-only pill / patch / ring | 91% | Over 99% |
| External condoms | 82% | 98% |
| Internal condoms | 79% | 95% |
These are NHS pregnancy-prevention effectiveness figures. They do not tell an individual which method is medically suitable. Clinical suitability, interactions, side effects and personal circumstances should be discussed with a qualified professional.
The Contraception Choice Check: EFFECTIVENESS → ROUTINE → STI PROTECTION → CONTROL → ACCESS
Our Contraception Choice Check helps pupils compare methods without reducing the decision to “Which one has the highest percentage?”
| EFFECTIVENESS | How effective is it in real life? Typical use and perfect use may differ, especially for methods that depend on remembering or correct technique. |
| ROUTINE | How often does somebody need to act? Every time, daily, weekly, every few weeks, every few months or only after a fitting procedure. |
| STI PROTECTION | Does it also help reduce STI transmission? Condoms have a separate role because they can help protect against STIs as well as pregnancy. |
| CONTROL | Who controls use and what happens if pressure is involved? Contraceptive decisions should not be dictated by a partner, and pressure not to use protection can be a relationship concern. |
| ACCESS | Where can accurate advice and contraception be obtained? NHS contraception is available free through sexual-health clinics and other services, with many options also available through pharmacies and GP practices. |
Condoms: Pregnancy Prevention and STI Protection
Condoms are distinctive because they can help prevent pregnancy and reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. NHS guidance states that using a condom every time somebody has sex is the best way to protect against HIV and other STIs.
Workshop content can cover external and internal condoms, correct-use principles, storage, checking packaging, what to do if a condom splits or comes off and why a condom should be used from the start of genital contact rather than part way through sex.
🔹 Pregnancy protection versus STI protection
🔹 Typical use versus perfect use
🔹 Correct and consistent use
🔹 Condom splits or comes off
🔹 Emergency contraception and STI testing after failure where appropriate
🔹 Condom negotiation within relationships
🔹 Pressure not to use a condom
🔹 Free condom services and sexual-health clinics
Condom education is delivered without embarrassment or gimmicks. The focus is on practical health literacy, consent and confident access to reliable services.
The Pill, Patch and Vaginal Ring
Hormonal contraception includes methods that require regular user action. Workshops can explain the broad difference between combined hormonal methods and progestogen-only methods without giving individual prescribing advice.
🔹 Combined pill
🔹 Progestogen-only pill
🔹 Contraceptive patch
🔹 Vaginal ring
🔹 Why missed or delayed use can reduce effectiveness
🔹 Why different methods are not suitable for everybody
🔹 Why medical suitability and side effects should be discussed with a health professional
Pupils are taught not to use social-media anecdotes as a substitute for clinical advice. Experiences with side effects vary, and individual health history matters.
Implant, Injection, IUD and IUS: Long-Acting Contraception
Long-acting reversible contraception can reduce the need to remember contraception every day or every time sex occurs. NHS effectiveness guidance lists the implant, IUD and IUS as over 99% effective for preventing pregnancy.
Contraceptive Implant
A small rod placed under the skin of the arm by a trained professional. Current NHS guidance states that it can work for up to five years.
Contraceptive Injection
A hormonal method given at intervals. It requires less frequent action than daily contraception but still depends on attending for repeat injections.
IUD – Copper Coil
A non-hormonal intrauterine device fitted by a trained professional. A copper IUD can also be used as emergency contraception.
IUS – Hormonal Coil
An intrauterine system that releases progestogen. It is different from a copper IUD even though both are sometimes informally called a “coil”.
Long-acting methods do not protect against STIs. Condoms can still be relevant where STI protection is needed.
Emergency Contraception: What Young People Need to Know
Emergency contraception can be used after unprotected sex or when contraception may have failed. NHS guidance describes two main types: an emergency contraceptive pill and a copper IUD.
The emergency pill needs to be taken within either 3 or 5 days depending on the type, while the copper IUD can be fitted within 5 days and is the most effective type of emergency contraception. The sooner emergency contraception is accessed, the more effective it generally is.
🔹 Emergency contraception is not the same as regular contraception
🔹 Different emergency pills have different time windows
🔹 A copper IUD can be used for emergency contraception
🔹 Emergency contraception does not provide ongoing STI protection
🔹 A condom failure may also create a reason to consider STI testing
🔹 NHS sexual-health clinics, GP services and many pharmacies can provide emergency contraception
Workshops teach pupils to seek advice promptly rather than trying to diagnose the situation themselves.
Contraception Myth Lab: What Sounds Plausible but Is Wrong?
Misinformation about contraception is common in peer conversations and online. Our Contraception Myth Lab challenges claims without ridiculing pupils for having heard or believed them.
“The Pill Protects Against STIs”
Reality: pills can prevent pregnancy but do not protect against STIs. Condoms have a different role.
“Emergency Contraception Works for the Rest of the Month”
Reality: emergency contraception is used after a specific episode of unprotected sex or contraceptive failure. It does not create ongoing protection for future sex.
“You Can Tell Who Has an STI”
Reality: many STIs can have no symptoms. Testing, not appearance, determines whether somebody has an infection.
“A Long-Acting Method Means You Don’t Need Condoms”
Reality: a long-acting method may provide strong pregnancy prevention but does not protect against STIs.
Contraception, Consent and Relationship Pressure
Contraception decisions should sit within respectful relationships. Nobody should be pressured into sex because contraception is available, and nobody should be pressured to stop using contraception or to have sex without a condom.
Workshops can explore:
🔹 Agreeing on protection before sex
🔹 Pressure not to use condoms
🔹 Removing or interfering with contraception without agreement
🔹 Reproductive coercion and controlling behaviour
🔹 Respecting a partner’s contraceptive choice
🔹 Consent remains necessary regardless of contraception
🔹 The right to delay sex
For deeper work on boundaries and sexual consent, see our Consent Workshops.
Contraception and STI Prevention: Understanding the Difference
One of the most important outcomes from Contraception Workshops is understanding that pregnancy prevention and STI prevention are not identical.
Hormonal contraception, implants, injections, IUDs and IUSs can prevent pregnancy but do not prevent somebody from acquiring or passing on an STI. Condoms can help reduce STI transmission while also preventing pregnancy.
This distinction also links contraception education with testing. Where there has been unprotected sex, a young person may need to think about both pregnancy risk and STI risk rather than assuming one form of protection addresses both.
For specialist sexual-health teaching, see our STI Workshops.
Pregnancy Prevention, Pregnancy Choices and Support
Contraception education should explain pregnancy prevention without shaming pregnancy or young parents. It should also make clear that contraception can fail and that prompt, accurate support matters.
🔹 Preventing unintended pregnancy
🔹 What to do after missed or failed contraception
🔹 Emergency contraception
🔹 Pregnancy testing
🔹 Accessing confidential advice
🔹 Medically and legally accurate pregnancy-choice information where age appropriate
🔹 Avoiding stigma towards young parents
For a dedicated programme, see our Teenage Pregnancy Education Workshop.
Confidential Contraception Services for Young People
A major barrier to good contraception decisions is the fear that asking for help will automatically be reported to parents or school. NHS contraception and sexual-health services are free and confidential, including for young people under 16, provided the healthcare professional believes the young person understands the information and decisions involved.
A professional may need to share information where there is a serious risk to safety or welfare, such as abuse. Safeguarding therefore sits alongside confidentiality rather than being ignored by it.
Young people can access contraception through sexual-health clinics, some GP practices, young people’s services and many pharmacies. Some pharmacies can provide the contraceptive pill without a separate GP prescription, and emergency contraception is also available through many pharmacies.
KNOW WHERE TO GO
Sexual-health clinics can provide contraception, condoms, pregnancy advice, STI testing and treatment. Knowing where support exists is part of contraception education—not something young people should have to discover only after a problem occurs.
Contraception and Sexual Decision Making
Knowing that contraception exists does not automatically remove sexual pressure. Young people may still feel rushed because of relationships, peers, alcohol, embarrassment or the belief that everybody else is sexually active.
Our Contraception Workshops therefore reinforce that:
🔹 contraception does not create an obligation to have sex
🔹 somebody can choose to delay sex
🔹 intimacy does not have to involve sex
🔹 consent must still be present
🔹 using protection should not be treated as mistrust
🔹 pressure around contraception can be a warning sign in a relationship
For a broader sexual-health programme, see our Sex Education Workshops.
Contraception Workshop Overview
Contraception Education, RSHE 2026 and Safeguarding
The revised statutory Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education guidance is for introduction from 1 September 2026.
By the end of secondary school, pupils should know the facts about the full range of contraceptive choices, efficacy and options available. They should also understand pregnancy, safer sex and condoms, STIs, sexual pressure, alcohol and drugs, and how to access confidential sexual and reproductive health advice and treatment.
This supports a practical approach to contraception teaching. Pupils should not only recognise method names; they should understand how choices differ, what effective use means, where condoms fit within STI prevention and where reliable services are available.
Contraception education should also be connected with consent. Availability of contraception never removes the need for free, ongoing sexual consent, and pressure around contraceptive use can intersect with coercion or abusive relationships.
KCSIE 2025 remains in force until 31 August 2026 and KCSIE 2026 comes into force on 1 September 2026. Concerns or disclosures arising during a workshop are handled through the commissioning setting’s safeguarding procedures.
Workshop role: 2020 Dreams provides education and awareness. Facilitators do not prescribe contraception, assess individual medical suitability or replace confidential clinical services.
Staff Contraception Training for Schools and Professionals
Staff Contraception Training is available for teachers, DSLs, pastoral teams, senior leaders, youth workers, college and university teams, charities, safeguarding professionals and other organisations.
Staff sessions can cover:
🔹 Current contraceptive methods and terminology
🔹 Typical use versus perfect use
🔹 Condom use and STI protection
🔹 Long-acting reversible contraception
🔹 Emergency contraception
🔹 Confidential NHS services
🔹 Consent and reproductive coercion
🔹 Sexual pressure and safeguarding
🔹 Managing contraception myths
🔹 Answering pupil questions without drifting into individual medical advice
🔹 SEND adaptation
🔹 RSHE 2026 curriculum expectations
🔹 Responding appropriately to disclosures
For bespoke CPD/INSET and professional delivery, see our Staff Contraception Training.
Contraception Workshops for Parents and Carers
Parents and carers may have learned about contraception years ago and can find that method names, access routes and emergency options have changed. Parent sessions give adults current, practical information so they can have calmer and more accurate conversations with young people.
🔹 Current contraceptive options
🔹 Condoms and STI protection
🔹 Emergency contraception
🔹 Confidentiality and young people’s services
🔹 Consent and relationship pressure
🔹 How to respond when a young person asks for help
🔹 Avoiding shame and panic
🔹 Recognising when safeguarding concerns are present
Contraception Workshops by Audience
Contraception Workshops for Secondary Schools
Secondary sessions introduce contraceptive choices, condoms, pregnancy prevention, STI protection, consent, pressure, emergency contraception and confidential services in an age-appropriate way.
Aims: accurate knowledge, stronger sexual-health literacy and confidence accessing reliable support.
Contraception Workshops for Sixth Forms and Colleges
Post-16 programmes can explore effectiveness, method choice, confidentiality, emergency contraception, STI testing, adult services, nightlife, alcohol, consent and relationship pressure in greater depth.
Aims: practical preparation for greater independence and informed access to sexual-health services.
Contraception Workshops for Universities and Adults
University and adult sessions can support Freshers campaigns, sexual-health awareness weeks, student wellbeing, professional education and safer relationship culture.
Aims: confident contraceptive literacy, STI prevention awareness, service access and respectful decision making.
Contraception Education for Secure, Residential and Youth Settings
Programmes can be adapted for youth organisations, residential care, secure settings and other services where vulnerability, exploitation, access barriers or disrupted education may affect sexual-health knowledge.
Aims: accessible information, stronger safeguarding awareness and clear routes to confidential support.
Contraception Workshops for SEND, SEMH, PRUs and Alternative Provision
Contraception Workshops can be adapted for SEND, SEMH, PRUs and alternative provision through clearer language, visual prompts, repetition, concrete examples, smaller groups and additional processing time.
Some learners may benefit from explicit teaching about the difference between pregnancy prevention and STI protection, what each method looks like conceptually, where to get help, consent to sexual activity, pressure from partners and how confidentiality works.
Adaptation is based on the actual needs of the learner group rather than assumptions about disability. Where the setting is managing individual safeguarding concerns, planning should involve the DSL, SENCO or relevant pastoral lead.
Benefits of Contraception Workshops
Pupils understand the main contraceptive choices and how methods differ in use, duration and effectiveness.
Young people understand why condoms have a different role from methods designed only to prevent pregnancy.
Typical use and perfect use are explained so percentages are not presented without context.
Participants learn that free, confidential contraception services exist and where professional advice can be accessed.
Contraception is connected with boundaries, sexual pressure, consent and reproductive control rather than taught in isolation.
Workshops complement statutory learning around contraceptive choices, efficacy, safer sex, STIs and access to sexual-health advice.
How We Deliver Contraception Workshops
EVERY TIME → REGULAR ROUTINE → LONG ACTING → EMERGENCY organises methods according to how they are actually used.
EFFECTIVENESS → ROUTINE → STI PROTECTION → CONTROL → ACCESS helps pupils compare methods responsibly.
Participants see why real-life effectiveness can differ from ideal use.
Common misinformation is tested against current NHS guidance.
Realistic situations explore condom pressure, missed contraception, emergency options and service access without requiring personal disclosure.
Facilitators explain options but do not recommend an individual medical method.
Face-to-face delivery is available across the UK with virtual options for UK and international organisations.
Related Contraception, Sex Education and Sexual Health Workshops
Schools, colleges, universities and organisations often combine Contraception Workshops with connected sexual-health and safeguarding programmes.
Consent, contraception, STIs, pregnancy, sexual pressure, pornography, sexting and sexual-health services.
Choice, freedom, capacity, boundaries, sexual pressure, relationships, online consent and safeguarding.
STI awareness, HIV, condoms, testing, prevention, treatment and sexual-health services.
Pregnancy prevention, pregnancy choices, parenthood, decision making and support.
Respect, communication, consent, relationship equality, boundaries and coercive control.
Nudes, digital consent, online privacy, revenge porn, sextortion and safeguarding.
Contraceptive methods, RSHE, safer sex, confidentiality, myths, safeguarding and staff confidence.
Contraception Workshops FAQ
Book Contraception Workshops for Your School or Organisation
Bring Contraception Workshops to your school, college, sixth form, university, youth service, charity, secure setting, professional team, workplace or corporate event. Tell us the age group, number of participants, preferred dates, location and the sexual-health or safeguarding priorities you would most like the programme to address.
We can deliver standalone Contraception Workshops for Schools, post-16 and university programmes, parent sessions or Staff Contraception Training. Contraception can also be combined with Sex Education Workshops, Consent Workshops, STI Workshops, Teenage Pregnancy Education Workshop and Healthy Relationships Workshops.
Contraception Education, Sexual Health and RSHE References
Our Contraception Workshops draw on current statutory education guidance, NHS contraception information and official sexual-health service statistics:
- Department for Education – Relationships and Sex Education (Secondary) – statutory content on contraceptive choices, efficacy, sexual pressure, safer sex, STIs and confidential services.
- NHS England – Sexual and Reproductive Health Services, England (Contraception), 2024/25 – current dedicated SRH service activity, method uptake and emergency contraception statistics.
- NHS – Methods of contraception – current method list and method information.
- NHS – How well contraception works at preventing pregnancy – typical-use and perfect-use effectiveness figures.
- NHS – How contraception is used – frequency of use, long-acting methods and STI protection.
- NHS – Condoms – pregnancy prevention, STI protection, effectiveness and access.
- NHS – Emergency contraception – emergency pill, copper IUD, time windows and access.
- NHS – Where to get contraception – free contraception through clinics, GP services, pharmacies and young people’s services.
- NHS – Confidentiality at sexual-health services – confidentiality for young people and safeguarding exceptions.
- Department for Education – Keeping Children Safe in Education – current safeguarding guidance.