Don’t wait to offer oral treatments for heavy menstrual bleeding, says new GP guidance
Associate Professor Liz Marles said it was vital for GPs to take a menstrual history during health checks.
Women with heavy menstrual bleeding should be offered hormonal or non-hormonal oral treatment “at first presentation” rather than waiting until investigations are complete, according to updated guidance.
The 2024 Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Clinical Care Standard also suggests that patients could be offered a 52mg levonorgestrel-releasing IUD, provided there is no malignancy or other significant pathology.
Associate Professor Liz Marles said the focus on immediate medical therapy when women first present with heavy menstrual bleeding was a key change from the 2017 standards.
“We shouldn’t wait to do all our investigations before we actually offer [oral treatments],” the former RACGP president told AusDoc.
