Be sensible - that’s the message to women from the Medway Primary Care Trust after the contraceptive pill became available to buy online today for less than £30.

The service available through the medical website DrThom is intended for women aged 18 and over who are currently on the pill but it has raised fears that young girls may go online to buy it.

Women are required to fill out a health questionnaire which can lead to follow-up questions being asked by one of the website doctors, but it means the site relies on patients accurately and honestly disclosing their medical history and other details,including their age.

A spokesman for the service admitted "that if someone under 18 wants to lie about their age there is nothing we can do about."

Medway PCT says: "We would encourage people to use Medway’s Public Health Team’s sexual health and family planning services as a first point of contact. A qualified member of staff will discuss options in a private setting.

"If individuals are thinking about accessing any sexual health services online, they need to be sensible. They should ask the advice of a family planning trained practitioner, GP or sexual health nurse in a local service if they are unsure."

DrThom plans to extend the service to those who have never taken the pill before.

Potential side-effects with taking the pill include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or an allergic reaction. It can also cause blood clots in the legs or lungs, raised blood pressure and increase the risk of breast cancer.

Patients wanting repeat prescriptions and those who have never taken it before will have to provide specific details of their blood pressure reading.

A credit or debit card used to pay for the order must also be in the patient’s name. Three months supply of the pill costs £29.99.

Dr Thomas Van Every, DrThom’s Medical Director, said: "The aim of our new contraceptive service is to make it easier and more convenient for women throughout the UK to get access to the pill.

"Our specialist service is ideal for a woman living a long way from her GP or a woman who is too busy because of work or childcare to take the time to visit her GP.

"We see the DrThom service as part of an ongoing trend - a trend consistent with UK government policy - to help women access contraceptive services as close to their home as possible."

Medway contraceptive and sexual health clinics offer free and confidential services to young people to ensure they are empowered to make safe and informed choices.

For details of young people' clinics in Medway please go to www.ruthinking.co.uk