Background and methodology Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) (i.e. injections, implants and intrauterine methods) has the potential to reduce unintended pregnancies but in the UK these methods are under-used. To inform a campaign planned to increase awareness of LARC, eight focus discussion groups were held with 55 women in two cities in Scotland, UK. Trained interviewers sought spontaneous views of unintended pregnancy and contraception in general, and condoms and pills in particular, and attitudes towards health professionals giving contraceptive advice. Attitudes towards LARC were discussed both before and after women were given detailed information about the methods. ResultsWomen recognised the importance of using contraception but admitted to taking risks. Pills and condoms were familiar and acceptable despite undesirable side effects. Women were poorly informed about LARC, had firm but incorrect beliefs about their 213 IntroductionAlthough contraceptive prevalence rates in the developed world are high, 1 unintended pregnancy is common. In the UK the most popular contraceptives are condoms and pills; both rely on consistent and correct use and demand strict compliance for their effectiveness. Long-acting reversible methods of contraception (LARC) [i.e. intrauterine devices/intrauterine system (IUDs/IUS), implants and injectables] are highly effective, depend much less -if at all -on compliance for their effectiveness, and increasing their use has the potential to reduce unintended pregnancy. 2 Health professionals working in primary care settings in the UK have reservations about the long-term use of Depo-Provera ® , and about the side effects and continuation rates of Implanon ® , and many lack the necessary skills to insert implants and intrauterine contraceptives. safety and side effects, disliked any method which involved an invasive procedure and/or vaginal examination, and had rather a low opinion of advice given by health professionals. Accurate information was not wholly successful in dispelling negative views of LARC.Discussion and conclusions Many factors influence contraceptive choice. Attitudes towards methods are complex and may be difficult to change. Some barriers to LARC, including the need to see a health professional, cannot be overcome but giving more information about ease of use, reversibility, effects on weight and the positive experiences of other women, as well as describing these methods as lasting rather than longacting, may help improve acceptability. contraceptive implants, IUDs and the IUS is low in Scotland. 6 Recognising the potential of LARC to prevent unintended pregnancy, measures being used to monitor implementation of the National Sexual Health Strategy in Scotland 6 include increasing the uptake of LARC, and the Department of Health in England recently launched an initiative to promote LARC use. 7 The literature on acceptability of contraceptive methods is dominated by data from women already using those methods, often in the context of clinical trials...