Testosterone for HSDD
Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) presents a persistent absence or deficiency of sexual fantasies and desire, leading to significant distress or interpersonal difficulty. For individuals with HSDD during the menopause, testosterone replacement therapy has been explored as a treatment option; however, its efficacy remains debatable, and it carries potential risks. This clinical practice article provides further guidance for testosterone therapy in patients with HSDD including individualised approaches and close monitoring by healthcare professionals.
BJGP Conference
The BJGP Research & Publishing Conference was held on 21 March 2025, at The Lowry Hotel, Manchester, with keynote speakers Prof. Katherine Checkland on the myth of the emerging themes: why qualitative research needs theory; and Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan on epistemic injustice and her book Unheard: The Medical Practice of Silencing. The BJGP Research & Publishing Conference also had excellent oral presentations and great workshops on writing for BJGP Life, the future of peer review, and how to navigate an academic general practice career.
Vulval lichen sclerosus
Women with VLS typically experience soreness, itching, burning, and dryness. On examination, there is often a whitening of vulval skin, ecchymoses, and fissuring. This can progress to irreversible changes to the vulval architecture, and VLS is also a risk factor for vulval cancer. However, VLS is treatable. In this survey, 92.6% of health care professionals in primary care felt further education would be useful for diagnosis, with 37.7% never having participated in learning on vulval skin disease. This study provides insight into the barriers to VLS diagnosis and potential for improvements.
