General practice gem

According to the most recent Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) study data, nearly 58% of general practice consultations in Australia are with women; for women GPs, this proportion is most likely even higher. Practising GPs will find Danielle Mazza’s new textbook Women's health in general practice a gem.

This Melbourne author’s research and teaching experience, and time spent as a family planning director, shine through in the book. But more importantly, her experience as a general practitioner has clearly influenced all aspects of the book’s development, from the choice of topics to the specific content and layout.

Mazza adheres to a narrow definition of women’s health. All the expected topics are covered, taking a life cycle approach, concluding with a chapter on violence against women, which has been a research interest of the author’s and has also been recently identified as the major source of morbidity for younger women.

Although traditional in the topics covered, Mazza explores these issues with sensitivity, makes excellent use of existing evidence and does not shy away from controversy. The chapter on menstrual problems includes some qualitative research on how women view their menstrual cycle. The “Screening women” chapter covers extensively and intelligently the current debate about the value of mammographic screening programs, placing the discussion in an international framework.

The layout is practical and engaging. Each chapter includes its explicit learning objectives, short clinical cases to illustrate major themes, useful definitions and highlighted tips and conclusions. The evidence is invoked for what works and what doesn’t, and sometimes briefly covers common complementary therapies, for example, lactobacillus for vaginitis and cranberry for urinary tract infections.

The text is not exhaustive — for example, menstrual migraine is barely mentioned — but rather is an accessible useful reference for many common health issues that affect women. I imagine it will become compulsory reading for those studying for the fellowship exams and a valuable reference for busy GPs.

Marie V Pirotta Senior Lecturer in General Practice University of Melbourne, VIC

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