Our study confirmed an association between AVMs and AS, although the etiology of the Heyde syndrome remains unclear. Clinicians need to be aware of this syndrome because it may affect their management of patients with gastrointestinal bleeding or AS.
The human papillomavirus (HPV) causes most cases of cervical cancer. Healthcare providers can help prevent this cancer by recommending HPV vaccination when appropriate, regularly screening women for cervical cancer, and following up on abnormal test results.
KEY POINTSImmunization against HPV can prevent up to 70% of HPV-related cervical cancer cases.Gardasil 9 is the only HPV vaccine currently available in the United States and is now approved for use in males and females between the ages of 9 and 45.
Objectives
To assess knowledge and provision of emergency contraception (EC), particularly the most effective methods.
Study Design
A web-based survey was distributed to a cross-sectional convenience sample of healthcare providers across specialties treating reproductive-aged women. The survey was sent to 3,260 practicing physicians and advanced practice clinicians in 14 academic centers between February 2013 and April 2014. We analyzed responses by provider specialty using multivariable logistic regression.
Results
The final sample included 1,684 providers (response rate = 51.7%). Ninety-five percent of the respondents had heard of levonorgestrel (LNG) EC. Among reproductive health specialists, 81% provide levonorgestrel EC in their practice, although only half (52%) had heard of ulipristal acetate (UPA) and very few provide it (14%). The majority in family medicine (69%) and emergency medicine (74%) provide levonorgestrel, in contrast to 42% of internists and 55% of pediatricians. However, the more effective methods (UPA and copper IUD) were little known and rarely provided outside of reproductive health specialties; 18% of internists and 14% of emergency medicine providers had heard of UPA and 4% provide it. Only 22% of emergency providers and 32% of pediatricians had heard of the copper IUD used as EC. Among reproductive health specialists, only 36% provide copper IUD as EC in their practice. Specialty, provider type and proportion of women of reproductive age in the practice were related to knowledge and provision of some forms of EC.
Conclusions
Awareness and provision of the most effective EC methods, UPA and the copper IUD (which are provider-dependent), are substantially lower than for LNG EC, especially among providers who do not focus on reproductive health.
Implications
In our sample of 1,684 healthcare providers from diverse specialties who treat reproductive-aged women, knowledge and provision of the most effective forms of emergency contraception (ulipristal acetate and the copper IUD) are far lower than for levonorgestrel EC. Women should be offered the full range of EC methods.
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