Sexual-health and contraception consultations often require several kinds of information in the same appointment. Method eligibility, infection guidance, product information and the local service pathway answer different questions. Keeping their roles clear makes a reference toolkit much easier to use.
This guide compares official resources and learning routes checked on 10 November 2026. It is designed for UK clinicians selecting where to look, rather than as a treatment protocol. The practical goal is to find the relevant current document, understand its scope and make the next learning need explicit.
Choose the starting resource by question
| Question | Useful starting point | What to establish next |
|---|---|---|
| Is a contraceptive method suitable in a medical context? | CoSRH UKMEC | The exact condition, category and associated explanation |
| How is a method started, continued or changed? | Current CoSRH method guidance | Amendments and any relevant local arrangements |
| What does a sexual-infection guideline recommend? | BASHH | Publication status, population and current local pathway |
| Where is the primary-care overview? | NICE CKS | Relevant specialist guidance behind the summary |
| What does the licensed product information say? | eMC SmPC | Exact product, formulation and document date |
| How can I address a recurring knowledge gap? | Focused questions and reviewed reflection | Whether understanding transfers to a different example |
CoSRH and UKMEC: distinguish eligibility from method instructions
The College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare publishes clinical standards and guidance. Older documents and links may use FSRH branding. The official UKMEC 2025 document is the appropriate starting point for its medical-eligibility classification, with the full explanation around the table entry.
An eligibility category and instructions for using a method serve different purposes. After locating the relevant category, use the current method-specific guideline for the separate operational question. Check for amendments rather than assuming that the year on a downloaded file is the only version information that matters.
For learning, ask yourself which detail would change the reference section you need. That might be the medical condition, the method being considered or the stage of use. The exercise should teach document selection as well as recall.
BASHH: a dedicated route into infection guidance
The BASHH guideline directory distinguishes current guidance, archived resources and consultation drafts. That distinction matters when a search engine places an older PDF above a newer landing page. Begin at the directory when you need to establish the document's current status.
BASHH also provides patient information. Professional guidance and patient material have different audiences: select the clinician document to understand the recommendation, and use the patient resource to support a conversation at the appropriate level.
Keep local testing, referral and partner-notification arrangements visible. A national guideline is a source for the clinical framework; the service responsible for implementing it supplies the current local process. A teaching discussion becomes more useful when it identifies both.
NICE CKS and eMC: overview and product detail
NICE CKS can help orient a primary-care query. It is useful for finding the relevant scenario before following a specialist source. For a medicine-specific issue, eMC provides product documents, including Summaries of Product Characteristics and patient leaflets.
Search using the actual product and formulation. Then identify the question you need the document to answer: administration, interactions, contraindications or another product detail. A generic medicine name alone may leave important formulation differences unresolved.
Use these resources together when their questions intersect. Do not expect one screen to be the complete record of eligibility, licensed information and local service delivery. A short note stating which source informed which part of a decision is easier to revisit than a bookmark labelled only “contraception”.
A worked example for a teaching session
Imagine a fictional trainee preparing for a contraception teaching discussion. Their initial question is broad: “Which reference should I use?” Narrow it into three tasks: locate the relevant eligibility section, find the current method guideline and identify where the local service explains access and follow-up.
Ask the trainee to explain why each source was chosen. Then change one feature of the fictional scenario and ask which document must be revisited. The useful outcome is a clearer method of finding and applying guidance, rather than a memorised answer detached from its conditions.
For an unfamiliar sexual-health topic, repeat the exercise using the BASHH directory. Have the learner state whether the document is final, amended, archived or draft before discussing its content. This is a practical way to make source currency part of the learning task.
Turn the consultation question into continuing learning
Ask iatroX offers a source-linked starting point for UK clinical-reference questions. Open the linked guidance when the question depends on its precise wording. iatroX CPD can support related question-based practice, Tutor discussion and a personal learning record.
Make the reflection specific: what did you misunderstand, which source resolved it and what would you check next time? The reflection template can also help organise notes from external learning. Keep the final account in your own words and describe the activity you actually completed.
Frequently asked questions
Are UKMEC and a method guideline interchangeable?
They address different questions. Use eligibility information and method-specific guidance for their respective purposes.
Should I use an archived PDF if I already know it well?
Locate the current provider page first and establish which document is now applicable.
Can a general reference replace the local sexual-health pathway?
Use the local pathway for local service arrangements, alongside the relevant national clinical source.