Back to Basics: Keeping a Bladder Diary
Viewpoint
Twenty-five years ago, few healthcare professionals associated osteoporosis with an increased risk of broken bones, and there was no internationally recognised definition of the disease. There were no NHS dual X-ray absorptiometry scanners, treatment options were limited, and the care and support offered to those with osteoporosis was a long way below the standards delivered by health professionals today. There was also no UK-wide charity to raise awareness of the disease.
Pass it on: the reality of inherited cancer risk
Many people have close relatives with cancer, and the possibility of inherited risk is increasingly raised during a GP consultation, often by patients themselves. It is important to identify the small but significant proportion of people who are at greatly increased risk of developing cancer as a result of their family history. But most patients with a family history are not at higher risk, and can be managed in primary care.
Motivating women and men: what presses the right buttons?
Getting people to act on advice is a continuing challenge for health professionals, particularly in the self-management of chronic conditions. In this article, we explore why men are less likely than women to fully engage with their own health needs and what health professionals can do to help men get better at this. Using the behavioural theory of communication – the Theory of Primitive Concerns – we will look at how different responses to risk – with women typically being risk-averse and men being risk-seeking – mean they respond differently to two alternative styles of clinical instruction based on using ‘power language’ and ‘safety language’. The theory is that we can help men to look after their own health by using language that matches their attitude to risk and presents self-care in a more powerful way.
Towards the rational prescribing of oral contraceptives
This supplement is supported by Consilient Health Ltd on behalf of whom this Expert Working Group was convened and funded. Consilient Health Ltd also provided a framework for the discussion.
Effective prescribing of the contraceptive implant
This supplement was developed in conjunction with and its production paid for by Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited.
Editorial
The Department of Health certainly gave us all something to think about over the Christmas break and well into the New Year. In the middle of last December, Secretary of State Andrew Lansley confirmed that the Coalition Government is pressing ahead with its radical structural changes to the NHS in England.1 This was despite concerns by professional and patient organisations, and indeed the House of Commons Select Committee,2 about the feasibility of introducing major reforms when the NHS is under increasing financial pressures.
Helping women with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis
Vulvovaginal candidiasis, or thrush, is very common, affecting 50-75% of women during their lifetimes. About half of women who experience an episode will suffer a further attack and 5% will develop recurrent disease. Recurrent episodes are associated with depression and loss of libido, but a combination of lifestyle advice and antifungal treatment should control symptoms for most women.
Ovarian cancer: a diagnostic nightmare
Think of a disease in which diagnostic delay may kill the patient, yet early diagnosis is extremely difficult. Add that the disease is quite rare, and symptoms mimic much more common benign conditions. If that is not tough enough, screening has not (yet) been shown to be helpful, and the primary diagnostic test is quite specialised. Does this add up to a problem? Of course it does, and the diagnostic nightmare is ovarian cancer.
Misconceptions, myths and reality: young women and contraception
Despite a recent decline, the UK still has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Western Europe. Young women themselves explain why, although access to contraception is relatively easy in theory, they find it difficult in practice to overcome the many barriers to its successful use.
Back to Basics: Infertility
Constipation in palliative care: dignity matters
The impact of constipation in palliative care cannot be overestimated. It is an unpleasant, distressing symptom that often has a profound effect on quality of life. This article explores the complexities of assessment, highlights the challenge of managing opioid-induced constipation, and reviews recent advances in management.
