Sexually active Luton women are being urged to stay safe during the Christmas party season. With unusual opening hours over Christmas, many women find it harder to get their usual contraceptive supplies from local family planning clinics, pharmacies, or GP's surgeries so the British Pregnancy Advisory Service is offering free contraceptive holiday packs to help women avoid unwanted pregnancies over the holidays.

The packs will contain condoms to protect against sexually transmitted infections, one dose of the emergency hormonal contraceptive pill, and leaflets giving information on BPAS online services which are available around the clock, and what to do in the event that the contraceptive pill does not work.

The emergency hormonal contraceptive pill, commonly known as the 'morning-after' pill, is most effective in the first 12 hours after unprotected sex, and becomes difficult to access over the festive period.

It also costs around £26 from High Street pharmacies making it too expensive for many. Ann Furedi, chief executive of BPAS, said: "Sex isn't always planned or prepared for. It's easy to get carried away, which is why we advise women to back up their birth control by keeping the morning after pill at home.

"You don't wait until you get a headache to buy your pain relief, why wait until you've risked pregnancy to get the morning-after pill? The BPAS holiday pack is our Christmas gift to help women avoid unwanted pregnancies in the New Year" she said.

For more information log on to www.bpas.org, or call 08457 304030.