A pleasant surprise (Family Planning Clinics)

Member Name: LouisaNott

Product:	Family Planning Clinics
Date:	28/08/01 (67 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: They really cared, quick service

Disadvantages: None at all

I went to a family planning clinic after an unfortunate "accident" one friday this summer. I was in the middle of my Uni exams, and it was running up to a bank holiday weekend. Not the best timing for these little mis-haps really.

So, my only option was to get up early on Saturday morning and get myself to a family planning clinic. I'd never been before, and I was a bit apprehensive, but needs-must, and I toddled along.

The clinic I went to was in a little back street, and looked very down-key, in other words, I didn't feel like I had a big sign on my head saying "hey everyone I had sex last night and that's why I'm here", as the place was inconspicuous.

When I got in there, I was greeted by 3 very bored looking women. I'm not saying that they were horrible, they just looked bored as there were no other "clients", and when I went in, they got all excited and all wanted to help! This was lovely, as I'd been turned away from a doctors surgery earlier in the day "because I'd arrived too late and the surgery shut at 10.30" (this was at 10.15!), and I was still a bit angry from that. The ladies in the clinic were great and friendly, the exact opposite of my earlier experience.

The nurse called me in and we had a little chat. She took my blood pressure, weight and other details to log me in so to speak. She explained everything I might ever need to know about the pill I was about to take, and expressed the fact that the clinic wasn't biased and didn't look at me as a slut or anything about 20 times, which was lovely to hear, even though you really don't care when all you want is to solve your little problem! But still, it was lovely. I was also told that I'd be supported by them if I did fall pregnant. Not something I wanted to think about, but reassuring.

Onto seeing the doctor, who was also lovely, I explained what had happened earlier in the
day, and that I'd come from quite far away. She told me that I was silly (not in a condescending way) and that there was a clinic a mile from my house! But I didn't care of course because as I said, you just want to solve the problem the quickest way you know.

So the lovely doctor gave me the prescription, and the pharmacist got it for me, whilst the other two women got me water, and offered me condoms.

5 star service really.

So we had a little chat, and moaned about the NHS being crap, I took the pill and left with lots more contraception, which was great.

I was also asked to return there in 5 weeks to check everything was fine, or in 3 weeks if "things" weren't sorted by then.

When I went back, they were more busy, but still remembered me and it was lovely.

I'd definitely recommend family planning clinics as a first port of call for sex advice, much better, and far more friendly than most doctors. They look at the "person" rather than the "body".

Summary: