The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners

BACKGROUND: In 2009, a new indicator (DEP 3) was introduced into the Quality and Outcomes Framework. GPs are now encouraged to assess response to antidepressant treatment 5-12 weeks after the initial assessment, to guide clinical decision m…

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of endometriosis is estimated to be around 10%. Diagnosis is through visualisation of the lesions, mostly via laparoscopy. Studies reveal that there is an average delay in the diagnosis of endometriosis of between…

BACKGROUND: Adhesive capsulitis is a common, painful, and disabling condition that has been managed with corticosteroid injections for over 50 years. There is debate over the use of single or multiple injections, but no systematic review ha…

BACKGROUND: Menstrual disorders are a common presentation in primary care. Heavy menstrual bleeding is the most common concern, and is often treated by medical and surgical means despite lack of pathology. AIM: To explore women's experienc…

BACKGROUND: Many women with heavy periods and irregular bleeding do not consult about them. It has been suggested that some of these symptoms are associated with psychological distress and that this influences consultation behaviour which m…

BACKGROUND: Chronic pelvic pain has often been described as a major women's health issue, but no information exists on the extent of the problem in the United Kingdom. AIM: To investigate the community prevalence of chronic pelvic pain and…

Unexpected vaginal bleeding is a common problem in general medical practice and likely to increase as more women use hormone replacement therapies (HRT). This study looks at the successful introduction of a technique for endometrial samplin…

Any definition of involuntary childlessness has to consider the difference between sterility and subfertility. As the latter affects about 20-30% of all couples at least once in their lives, general practitioners (GPs) may be the first to b…

BACKGROUND: Subfertility in general practice is a common problem. However, most treatment is initiated in hospital. There may be a role for general practitioners in the treatment of some infertile patients. AIM: The aim of this study was t…