Rehabilitation teams need training to deal with patients' sexual problems, and the nurse is likely to be identified as the specialist in this area.

Objectives. To examine women's attitudes towards the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and to predict intention to take it in a sample of 1200 women using the theory of planned behaviour (Ajzen, 1988) and a measure of similar prior behaviour. Design. The design was cross‐sectional. A postal survey was carried out. Methods. Questionnaires were sent to a random sample of 1200 women aged between 38 and 58 generated from the Kent Family Health Services Authority records. Questions based on the theory of planned behaviour were used to predict women's intentions to take HRT. Information was also collected about the women's sources of information on the menopause, their experience of the menopause and the time leading up to it, their general health, and their sociodemographic circumstances. Results. Analysis was carried out on the responses of the 641 women who were not yet taking and had never taken HRT. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that similar prior behaviour made a small independent contribution to the prediction of behavioural intention when entered after the components of the model. Structural equation modelling was carried out to show the paths between the variables. When age was included, similar prior behaviour was shown to influence behaviour through perceived behavioural control and attitude. Conclusions. In predicting women's intention to take HRT, the beliefs of significant others, the women's personal beliefs, their degree of confidence in their ability to carry out the behaviour and the experience of similar prior behaviour are important considerations.

Rehabilitation teams need training to deal with patients' sexual problems, and the nurse is likely to be identified as the specialist in this area.

The aim of this study was to examine how occupational therapists define their role In a community mental health setting, within a framework of current concern about a lack of knowledge and recognition of the profession among both other health professionals and the general public, Including clients of the service. Nineteen practising occupational therapists were interviewed by telephone and invited to give their definitions of occupational therapy.The main finding was that there was a lack of a uniform definition of occupational therapy in community mental health settings. The need for the development of agreed definitions of occupational therapy is discussed.

The aim of this study was to explore men's attitudes to Viagra in a social context. Two focus groups were established. The first comprised six members of a sports club; the second included three patients attending a clinic for men with erectile dysfunction, aged between 45 and 65. Each group met for one hour. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to identify themes. Analysis indicated the overriding theme for the first group of maintaining a masculine image through denial of any deliberate knowledge of or interest in the topic; for the second group, there was a theme of sadness at being unable to "confess" their problem because of potential loss of masculine image. Men in group contexts talk about Viagra in ways that serve to project a masculine image. Masculine image may be more important to men than their health.