Researchers conducted this study to ascertain attitudes to consultations in general practice and the gender of the doctor. A secondary aim was to determine whether women participate in the National Health Service (NHS) screening programs available to them and their use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Participants were the two hundred and ninety-four of the 334 eligible women returned the questionnaire.
Women’s embarrassment on consulting general practitioners (GPs) and preference for a female doctor. Up-to-date cervical smears and mammography screening in eligible women and use of HRT.
A large majority of women (248/294; 84.4%) were not embarrassed when consulting a GP and did not express a preference to see a woman GP for any problem (240/294; 81.6%). However, 123/294 (41.8%) did express a preference to see a woman doctor for ‘women’s problems’. Sixty-five women had had a hysterectomy, and 218 of the remaining 229 (95.2%) had had a smear in the past five years. 267/294 (90.8%) had undergone mammography in the previous three years for breast screening. Ninety-three women (32%) were currently on HRT, and on record searching, a total of 146 (49.7%) had at some time been HRT users.
Embarrassment does not appear to be a significant problem for consultations related to female health. A well-organized general practice with motivated patients can achieve very high uptakes of both cervical and breast screening programs. Interest in HRT has also risen, with half the women aged 56-59 years having used systemic HRT.
Reference: https://srh.bmj.com/content/28/1/15
