This quarter’s Journal includes the following:

Redefinition of women’s health care

Last year the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists published ‘High Quality Women’s Health Care: a Proposal for Change’ that proposed a radical change to the structure of UK women’s health services. Andrew Horne and Johannes Bitzer discuss this exciting document from both a UK and a European perspective, commenting on its implications for sexual health provision. See page 68

Multidrug-resistant gonorrhoea

Gonorrhoea infection is increasing in the UK with a 3% increase in cases between 2009 and 2010. Last year there was a report of a ceftriaxone-resistant isolate; there is a growing concern that gonorrhoea may become incurable. The commentary by Taylor and Bignell is timely. It reviews the current position and provides clear guidelines on screening and treatment, which may prove challenging for some community services that rely exclusively on the use of nucleic acid amplification tests. See page 70

At last, a COC licensed for use in a flexible extended regimen

Data are presented from Phase III studies of a 20 µg ethinylestradiol/3 mg drospirenone combined pill, designed to be used in a flexible regimen. The studies evaluated the efficacy of the regimen, bleeding patterns, safety (ie, metabolic and endometrial parameters) and effect on dysmenorrhoea. Comparisons were with a fixed extended regimen and the conventional 24-day regimen. Results show good efficacy, tolerability and safety with the flexible regimen, and a significant reduction in both bleeding and dysmenorrhoea. See pages 73, 84, 94

Does hormone replacement therapy cause breast cancer? Part 4. The Million Women Study

Shapiro et al. continue their review of breast cancer and hormone replacement therapy papers, this time focusing on the Million Women Study. They conclude that despite its massive size, this study did not satisfy causal criteria. The online version of this paper has already been the focus of a great deal of media publicity and both a news piece and an editorial in the BMJ. Readers should also look at the Letters section for related correspondence that the Journal has received as a result. See page 102

A new aid to diagnosis

Ultrasound imaging has been of value to our specialty for over two decades and skills and equipment have steadily become more available within sexual and reproductive health clinics. In their article on hysterosonography using a local anaesthetic gel, Pillai and Shefras present their experience with a simple and effective new technique that takes imaging a step further, allowing clear diagnosis of intrauterine abnormalities, particularly causes of abnormal bleeding or failed intrauterine device/system (IUD/IUS) insertion, as well as aiding location and easier retrieval of IUDs with missing threads. Many readers will be familiar with the use of lidocaine gel to aid IUD insertion: not surprisingly, uterine instrumentation in conjunction with scanning was reported to be less painful with this technique. This is a promising approach to simplifying and improving the cost-effectiveness of care for women presenting with some complex contraception problems. See page 110

Abortion legislation in a changed world

In his latest Legal Opinion article, Sam Rowlands reviews legislation governing early medical abortion (EMA) and the licensing of EMA drugs in the UK and in other jurisdictions. He then looks at the ways in which such legislation has been used – or in some cases circumvented. EMA has helped to fulfil the crucial need for safe abortion worldwide, but in the author’s view the laws governing abortion in most countries are out of step with scientific advances. Readers may find the author’s conclusions and suggestions for future changes to our own abortion laws thought-provoking. See page 117

Role of doulas in abortion care

Doulas, or lay support persons, have had a longstanding role in supporting women in labour. Chor et al. argue that their role should be extended to caring for women having abortions, where they can help women relax and provide information. They suggest that engagement of the medical community will be instrumental in successfully expanding the role of abortion doula programmes within abortion provision. See page 123

Abortion in the classical world

Lesley Smith continues her series on the history of contraception and reproductive health with a look at attitudes to and practices of abortion in ancient times. It appears that even then, abortion was at the heart of much medical ethical debate. See page 125

Status of health professionals in the 21st century

Has the status of health professionals in society today fallen? If so, why? And is it a good or a bad thing? The Journal’s Consumer Correspondent, Susan Quilliam, explores the issue in her latest article. See page 127

Twenty-five years on: HIV remains a concern

In his latest ‘Then and Now’ article, Lindsay Edouard looks at topics covered by this Journal in 1987. New approaches to contraception were emerging. But was there a threat to community family planning services and would litigation faced by USA manufacturers restrict contraceptive choice? However, the major concern was the emergence of HIV/AIDS, with reinforcement of the advice that barriers should be used in addition to hormonal methods. In 2012, in the light of controversial research suggesting a possible association between hormonal contraception and increased HIV risk in some settings, Edouard draws our attention to the WHO very recent guidance regarding dual protection: 25 years on, advice has not changed. See page 131

Plus – Online Poll

Will the recent article on hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer alter your prescribing practice with regard to HRT?

Faculty News

The latest edition of FSRH News is available on the website.

This report from Jennie Bristow (editor, Abortion Review)

23 March 2012

UK: Health Secretary launches shock wave of inspections on abortion clinics

The Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, yesterday announced to the UK media that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) would be carrying out a series of ‘unannounced inspections’ on abortion clinics throughout the UK to ensure that doctors are complying with the ‘spirit and the letter’ of the 1967 Abortion Act. Jennie Bristow reports.

This action, which Lansley confirmed in a statement to Parliament today, 23 March, is allegedly a response to concerns that doctors are ‘pre-signing’ the HSA1 abortion forms. ‘The process of pre-signing certificates where the doctor does not know who the woman is for whom that certificate may be used in relation to that abortion is in itself illegal. I am not prepared to tolerate a failure to respect the law,’ Lansley said in a press statement yesterday.

He further stated: ‘The CQC has agreed to undertake unannounced inspections to identify the scale of this problem and we will set up a special team comprising of all the necessary regulators… to look at how we stamp out bad practice in abortion clinics.’

The BBC gives a more measured explanation of the law regarding the HSA1 form. ‘Except in emergencies, the law says two doctors must certify an abortion. However, there is no requirement for them to have actually seen the woman – only that they should have seen and assessed the necessary clinical information about her case, which could have been taken by another doctor or nurse.’

Lansley’s concern is that this ‘second signature’ is being provided before the doctor has reviewed the relevant notes. This is not the practice of most abortion providers, including British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS). However, launching a wave of CQC inspections on the basis of forms potentially being pre-signed in some other clinics is a strange and heavy-handed action, for three reasons.

First, the second doctor’s signature has been long understood to be a legal, rather than a clinical, safeguard; arising from attempts in the 1960s to pass a controversial new law in the form of the Abortion Act. As such, many politicians – including Lansley himself – have questioned whether it is necessary to retain this cumbersome and clinically irrelevant requirement in the 21st century.

As the BBC explains, ‘The requirement for two doctors’ signatures was criticised as long ago as 2007, when a report by MPs on the Commons science and technology committee recommended it be removed because of the potential for abortions to be unnecessarily delayed.’ And Andrew Lansley himself, during the debate about the abortion law that took place in 2008, said:

‘If a woman needs an abortion in terms sanctioned by the Abortion Act 1967, it must surely be better for it to be an early, medical abortion than a later, surgical one. I therefore hope that the House will consider whether the requirement for two doctors to consent to an abortion being performed, and the restrictions on nurses providing medical abortions, need to be maintained.’

So it is strange indeed that the Health Secretary, busily engaged as he is in controversial reforms of the entire health service, should now view strict adherence to the ‘two doctors’ requirement as a sudden issue of major clinical concern. His quote in yesterday’s press statement could not be more different from the temperate approach that he took four years ago. On 22 March 2012, Lansley argued:

‘I am shocked and appalled to learn that some clinics – which look after women in what are often difficult circumstances – may be allowing doctors to pre-sign abortion certificates. This is contrary to the spirit of the Abortion Act. The rules in the Abortion Act are there for a reason – to ensure there are safeguards for women before an abortion can be carried out.’

The second peculiarity of this shock wave of inspections is that the ‘evidence’ upon which they have been launched seems remarkably thin. It seems to have come out of police investigations launched on the back on the Daily Telegraph’s investigation into ‘sex selection’ abortions last month, which itself found little evidence that such abortions were carried out.

There may be more basis Lansley’s concerns than a flimsy newspaper investigation – but we do not know. And this is the third and most striking peculiarity of today’s Parliamentary statement: that the media were briefed about it before any of the clinics whose work it might concern.

Ann Furedi, chief executive of BPAS, said: ‘Abortion doctors provide an important service to women who are often in difficult circumstances. Their work is already intensely scrutinised, with clinics regularly inspected by the CQC.

‘Mr Lansley says he is shocked and appalled by the practices he has uncovered. BPAS is shocked and appalled that Mr Lansley has found it necessary to inform journalists of alleged breaches of the abortion law before he has informed those responsible for providing the services that have been investigated, and before the investigation is concluded.’

The celebration, hosted by Nitin Ganatra (Eastenders), to mark the hard work and dedication of people involved in sexual health across the UK took place at Troxy, London. Celebrities, including Janet Ellis, Zoe Margolis, Sharon Marshall, Johnny Partridge and our own Susan Quilliam and Alison Hadley were in attendance to show support and present awards to:

Sexual health professional of the year: Kay Elmy, Peterborough Contraceptive and Sexual Health Service.
JLS young person of the year: Azizi Kosoko, Terrence Higgins Trust.
Rosemary Goodchild Award for excellence in sexual health journalism: Sophie Goodchild for her article ‘Free love: what happened to AIDS?’  Men’s Health magazine.
Adult sexual health service/project of the year: ‘Morning-after-pill in the post’ campaign, bpas.
Young people’s sexual health service/project of the year: Sheffield Open Doors, Sheffield Contraception and Sexual Health Service, School Nursing Service and the Young People’s Drug and Alcohol Service.
Pamela Sheridan Award for Innovation in SRE: Shropshire Respect Yourself Relationship and Sex Education Programme.
Lifetime Achievement in sexual health award presented to Professor Michael Adler CBE.

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Research highlights risks with current tests for Chlamydia trachomatis

“Researchers, from the University of Southampton and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, have discovered that Chlamydia is much more diverse than was previously thought. Using whole genome sequencing, the researchers show that the exchange of DNA between different strains of Chlamydia to form new strains is much more common than expected.”  Current clinical tests only give a positive or negative result and can not identify different strains.  In clinical practice those found to be chlamydia positive after treatment were assumed to have been re-infected but this may not be the case.  Up until now antibiotic resistance has not been seen in humans only in the laboratory but current tests would be unable to demonstrate this if it did occur.

New BASSH Patient Information Leaflets

The BASSH Clinical Effectiveness Group (CEG) has produced new patient leaflets on Safer Sex, Epididymo-orchitis and Gonorrhoea. These are available from their website along with details about up-coming events as well as news and other guidelines.

GMC seeks views on proposed changes to the way doctors are assessed for GP or specialist registration through the ‘equivalence’ or CESR/CEGPR route to registration

Information and access to consultations are via the GMC e-consultation website.

“This International Women’s Day, the world’s women have much to celebrate: maternal mortality rates are declining after years of stagnation; the importance of maternal health is receiving unprecedented attention; and one solution in our efforts to save women’s lives during childbirth, misoprostol, is gaining significant traction globally. But we have further to go for the world’s women.”  IWD website has links to a number of events happening around the globe and asks supporters to publish and share their initiatives

fpa and Brook join forces with Durex

Two of the country’s leading sexual health charities and the biggest condom brand in the UK have announced a major collaboration with a three year programme to deliver a number of sexual health initiatives; information events, public awareness campaigns and learning materials.

Media Reaction to Abortion – gender selection and legal issues

in the ongoing debate around gender-selection abortion an Open letter of support for doctors who provide abortion services was published by Reproductive Health Matters, the international journal for sexual and reproductive health and rights, signed by members of Voice for Choice, leaders in womens’ health and abortion care. The letter clarifies many of the misinterpretations of legal issues that have been voiced in much of the ‘popular’ press.

Sexual Health Trainers – new PGA Med Ed (SRH)

The FSRH website has details of the planned changes to ‘training the trainers’.  The current letter of competence (Loc MEd) will be replaced by the new Post Graduate Award in Medical Education (Sexual and Reproductive Health).  In collaboration with Keele University the course is aimed at doctors working in CASH, GP’s, those in GUM and nurses who wish to gain a recognised teachers qualification in sexual health. This PGA will, for doctors, be accepted as appropriate for Primary Trainers for DFSRH purposes.

The GMC Education Update (Feb 2012) includes notification of a consultation on the recognition and approval of trainers.

New Clinical Guidance – Management of Vaginal Discharge in Non-Genitourinary Medicine Settings

The FSRH Clinical Effectiveness Unit (CEU) have published their latest clinical guidance document which updates previous guidance from 2006. Changes include: new tests for gonorrhoea and chlamydia; changes to treatments available for vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) & bacterial vaginosis (BV); and new advice on combined hormonal contraception (CHC) and antibiotics.

BPAS website hacked

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service website has been the subject of attempted hacking.  A 27 yr old man has been arrested on suspicion of offences under the Computer Misuse Act.  In a statement issued today BPAS say that:

“Around 26,000 attempts to break into our website were made over a six hour period, but the hacker was unable to access any medical or personal information relating to women who had received treatment at bpas.”