Current contraceptive management in Australian general practice: an analysis of BEACH data.
OBJECTIVE
To determine current contraceptive management by general practitioners in Australia.


METHODS
Analysis of data from a random sample of 3910 Australian GPs who participated in the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) survey, a continuous cross-sectional survey of GP activity, between April 2007 and March 2011. Consultations with female patients aged 12-54 years that involved all forms of contraception were analysed.


METHODS
GP and patient characteristics associated with the management of contraception; types of contraception used; rates of encounters involving emergency contraception.


RESULTS
Increased age, ethnicity, Indigenous status and holding a Commonwealth Health Care Card were significantly associated with low rates of encounters involving management of contraception. The combined oral contraceptive pill was the most frequently prescribed method of contraception, with moderate prescription of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), especially among women aged 34-54 years. Rates of consultations concerned with emergency contraception were low, but involved high rates of counselling, advice or education (48%) compared with encounters for general contraception (> 20%).


CONCLUSIONS
A shift towards prescribing LARC, as recommended in clinical guidelines, has yet to occur in Australian general practice. Better understanding of patient and GP perspectives on contraceptive choices could lead to more effective contraceptive use.
Department of General Practice, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC. Danielle.Mazza@monash.edu
Danielle
D
Mazza
Christopher
C
Harrison
Angela
A
Taft
Bianca
B
Brijnath
Helena
H
Britt
Melissa
M
Hobbs
Kay
K
Stewart
Safeera
S
Hussainy
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D002648:Child; D003267:Contraception / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D044363:Contraception, Postcoital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female; D003274:Contraceptive Devices, Female / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013246:Sterilization, Tubal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female