The January edition of the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care includes a number of articles previously available at Online First (the Dinger/Shapiro VTE commentary, Advances in IUD training by Connolly & Rybowski and Brown’s study looking at young mens’ views on contraception) as well as:
- a thought-provoking commentary by Raine-Fenning et al on pregnancy of unknown location (PUL) which points out that a recent recommendation from CMACE to abandon the term is at odds with current scientific evidence and clinical experience;
- a commentary by Wilkins of the Men’s Health Forum on men and sexual health;
- a study by Draper et al on 525 GP fittings over a period of 30 years confirms that routine IUD checks confer no benefit. The paper suggested that current guidelines recommend annual checks though this is based on a statement from Australia dated 2007 and USA advice from 2000 and ignores more up to date FSRH and WHO guidance;
- a questionnaire study of clinic attendees and staff about what we should call ‘attendees’. This appears to show that there is a preference to retain the term ‘patient’ but was based on the respondents picking from only 4 options (‘patient’, ‘client’, ‘user’ or ‘customer’ – ie didn’t include ‘women’ and ‘men’) or asking them what they would prefer to be called;
- Kipp et al highlight the unmet need for effective methods of FP in HIV+ individuals in rural Uganda;
- womens’ views of the use of their leftover LBC samples for research purposes (Cooper et al);
- an important restrospective audit comparing unscheduled reattendance among women having EMA (early medical abortion) at home vs hospital (Astle et al);
- a review of appropriate use of Co-cyprindiol in a general practice (Tandy);
- a review of Clomifene use for ovulation induction in general practice (Wilkes & Murdoch)
Plus at Online First on 31 January 2012: Encouraging IUD uptake after medical TOP [Cameron et al.]
Sharon Cameron and her colleagues in Edinburgh created a fast-track referral service so that women who had undergone early medical abortion who wished to use intrauterine contraception afterwards could be seen promptly for IUD/IUS fitting. However, only about half the women who were given appointments actually attended. In their article they analyse the differences between the attenders and the non-attenders and suggest ways to enhance the uptake of these effective methods for the prevention of further unwanted pregnancies. While some women would benefit from IUD/IUS insertion at the place of abortion, provision of a fast-track service to the family planning clinic may yet remain the best strategy for maximising uptake of intrauterine contraception in this specific client group. from David Horwell, Advisory Editor, JFPRHC
Journal Fiction Book Reviews for April 2012:
The fiction book that has been reviewed for the next Journal is: “Sense of an Ending” by Julian Barnes. Read this and see if your views coincide with our reviewer. If anyone has read “The Marriage Plot” by Jeffrey Eugenides and would like to review it and see their review in print in the April issue please submit a maximum of 400 words to journal@fsrh.org by 12 February at the latest. In addition, let us know if there are any other books you have read recently that you feel would be of interest to readers.
New GMC Guidance
Two new documents have been published by the GMC: Raising concerns about patient safety and Leadership and management for all doctors 2012 which they “hope will contribute to a culture change within the health service – where raising and acting on concerns becomes part of every day practise in the UK.”
New mobile website for Brook
Brook, the young people’s sexual health charity, have launched a version of their website optimised for viewing on a mobile phone, funded by the JLS Foundation. See a screenshot of the new site below:
