Comments on ‘Midwives’ experiences and views of giving postpartum contraceptive advice and long-acting reversible contraception: a qualitative study’: authors’ response
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* Sharon Cameron
* Kirsty McCance

*   family planning service provision
*   long-acting reversible contraception
*   midwives

We are grateful to Drs Walker and Davis for their letter1 which suggests that the views expressed by midwives in our study2 (regarding lack of knowledge and training on contraception) are likely to represent midwives’ experiences throughout the UK. We also are pleased to learn that local initiatives are underway (such as those in Lanarkshire) to facilitate access to the contraceptive implant for selected groups of mothers. We feel that a national approach to midwifery training with greater emphasis on contraception is needed, in combination with close links between maternity services and local sexual health services, so that strategies such as those described by Drs Smith and McLellan3 can be successfully embedded as normal care for *all* postpartum mothers and can remain sustainable.

## Footnotes

*   Competing interests None.

## References

1.  Walker S, Davis G. The views of final year student midwives on giving postpartum contraception and sexual health advice. J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care 2014;40:312.
    
    

2.  McCance K, Cameron S. Midwives’ experiences and views of giving postpartum contraceptive advice and long-acting reversible contraception: a qualitative study. J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care 2014;40:177–183.
    
    [Abstract/FREE Full Text](http://jfprhc.bmj.com/lookup/ijlink/YTozOntzOjQ6InBhdGgiO3M6MTQ6Ii9sb29rdXAvaWpsaW5rIjtzOjU6InF1ZXJ5IjthOjQ6e3M6ODoibGlua1R5cGUiO3M6NDoiQUJTVCI7czoxMToiam91cm5hbENvZGUiO3M6MTQ6ImZhbWlseXBsYW5uaW5nIjtzOjU6InJlc2lkIjtzOjg6IjQwLzMvMTc3IjtzOjQ6ImF0b20iO3M6MzE6Ii9mYW1pbHlwbGFubmluZy80MC80LzMxMy4xLmF0b20iO31zOjg6ImZyYWdtZW50IjtzOjA6IiI7fQ==) 

3.  Smith E, McLellan A. Comment on midwives’ experiences and views of giving postpartum contraceptive advice and long-acting reversible contraception: a qualitative study’. J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care 2014;40: 312–313.