GPs may be giving inadequate advice to women with heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), a new survey has suggested.

The survey of 250 GPs by Bayer Healthcare revealed that as many as seven in 10 GPs are either unaware of the NICE guidance on HMB or unsure of the details.

HMB affects one in five women of reproductive age and is defined as excessive menstrual blood loss that interferes with quality of life. NICE recommends the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (IUS) as the first-line treatment for HMB in suitable women. However, 83 per cent of GPs were unfamiliar with the recommendation, with only three per cent regularly prescribing the IUS.

“HMB is a common condition that can have a profound impact on patients’ lives, so it is important that the most effective treatment is given as early as possible,” commented Professor Janesh Gupta, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Birmingham.