Hightlights from this edition include:

The FSRH’s 20th anniversary

It is 20 years since the establishment of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH). In celebrating its anniversary there is much to be proud of, and indeed Community Sexual and Reproductive Health is now a specialty in its own right. Readers should find the story of the birth and rise of the specialty interesting and some will be reminded of ‘old times’, while looking ahead to a bright future. See page 78

Does HRT cause breast cancer? Part 5

Shapiro and colleagues conclude the interesting and enlightening series of articles looking at the evidence around hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and breast cancer risk (page 80). The final part examines the evidence for there being a declining trend in breast cancer incidence as HRT use reduced. Although the two are widely held to be related, they conclude that it is not possible to say either way. In the accompanying
Commentary (page 72), Nick Panay reviews the whole series of five articles and reminds us that optimising the lives of millions of women going through the menopause should be our priority. See pages 72 and 80

COCs and the risk of VTE, ATE and cardiovascular death

Syd Shapiro provides another of his incisive reviews of the latest database study of the combined pill and venous (VTE) and arterial (ATE) thromboembolism risk. Unsurprisingly, he finds many of the same problems as in the other studies, and asks the question why do these studies keep being done badly when the methodological flaws have been so well established? See page 89

“Anything for the weekend – and beyond, madam?” Community pharmacies increase OC uptake

Parsons et al.‘s evaluation of a community pharmacy delivered oral contraceptive (OC) service in South-East London is of particular interest, as it demonstrates the value of providing OCs via this service outlet, especially for women who would not otherwise access long-term contraception. Specially trained pharmacists provided OCs under a patient group direction (PGD), and subsequent evaluation showed that these pharmacists were clinically competent to provide OCs according to a PGD, and that the service was successful in attracting the population identified as most in need.  See page 97

There’s a tale in this sting – The policing of abortion services in England

What was the background to last year’s Care Quality Commission inspections of all English abortion services? Why were medical and nursing colleagues reported to their regulatory Councils and why is a Metropolitan Police investigation still ongoing? Sam Rowlands’ commentary provides a fascinating and detailed account of the regulatory framework of abortion services in England and the unexpected consequences of a national newspaper’s ‘sting’ operation on certain clinics in February 2012. It suggests that the regulation of abortion goes further than the Law requires and that this is now out of step with progress in abortion practice, leading to unnecessary restriction for women with unwanted pregnancies in accessing the support they need. See page 121

Role of ambulatory hysteroscopy in reproduction

The relatively recent introduction of outpatient operative hysteroscopy enables investigation and treatment previously carried out in the operating theatre to be performed in the clinic setting without the need for general anaesthesia. A ‘see and treat’ style of management is being adopted, which is changing how we configure our gynaecological services. This review aims to summarise the role for ambulatory hysteroscopy in the diagnosis of conditions contributing to reproductive failure and in sterilisation. See page 127

LAM: why ignore this useful option?

In this interesting personal view article, the authors explore and elaborate on the reasons why health care providers and the public are hesitant in recommending/adopting the lactational amenorrhoea method (LAM), a valuable short-term postnatal contraceptive option. These include ignorance about the LAM criteria for correct use, mistrust of the method’s effectiveness despite a strong evidence base, inconsistencies in the advice given to breastfeeding women in the UK by health practitioners and public bodies (e.g. the National Health Service, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists), and lack of awareness about potential benefits. See page 136

Internet: good or bad?

2013 marks the 30th anniversary of the Internet. Our Consumer Correspondent looks at whether this technological miracle is a ‘good idea’ for the health profession. See page 139